Stars Above
by SailorChibi
Summary: The only one with her memory, Usagi reunites with her 'mutant' senshi at the Xavier Institute. When a new threat appears, what will happen to the soldiers of both worlds? UsagixLogan
1. Prologue

**Title:** Stars Above

**Authoress:** SailorChibi

**Rating:** PG-13

**Pairings:** UsagixLogan, MinakoxKurt, MakotoxBobby, ReixPietro, ReixAlex, AmixGambit, RoguexGambit, SetsunaxMamoru

**Summary:** The only one with her memory, Usagi reunites with her 'mutant' senshi at the Xavier Institute. When a new threat appears, what will happen to the soldiers of both worlds?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** If you feel this story is familiar to you, that's because it might be. This a re-post of a story that was up a few years ago. The original was sloppy, badly written and didn't the deserve the finish planned. This version is _much_ better. If you did read this story a few years ago, I suggest you re-read all of it – I have changed a lot. Also, some of the characters are a mixture of Evolution and the movies, so draw on both while reading.

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The city was lit up with multi-colored lights that accompanied the contant hum of action. On this dark night, the humans of the town continued on with their daily lives, heedless of the numerous times they had come close to destruction. The bustle and hustle slowed as the midnight hour approached, although the city didn't become mostly quiet until the early morning hours.

High above the town, a young woman watched the town below her in silence. The girl had hair the color of snow and a complexion to match. Long, dark eyelashes surrounded mysterious, silvery eyes that shone with tears. Her pale pink lips were set in a small frown. Upon her forehead, a miniature crescent moon mark glimmered with a faint light, accentuating the gown she wore.

"I feel we have no other option, Luna," the girl murmured. Her voice, as musical as a trickling stream, was soft with pain. "They have no need to recall the horrors we have faced. So long as I believe they are content to be normal, they shall remain so."

"But... Serenity..." A small cat, appearing black in color with a gold crescent mark on its forehead, protested weakly. The crimson eyes of the feline were mournful. "After all this, do you not think they deserve to know the truth?"

"Was it your plan that we would be restored to our former glory?" demanded the girl, spinning on her heel to stare at the cat in an accusing manner. "Before Alan and Ann appeared, was it? No, of course not. You wished for us to live in peace, as I wish for them at this time. They are happy, Luna. Happy. I fear they shall forget that emotion, as I have, if we awaken them. Chaos has gone and I will not have it!"

"We don't know if he will remain gone," a white cat with wise blue eyes and a similar gold crescent mark as the first reminded gently.

"As if this is supposed to change my decision," she voiced bitterly, turning back to face the town. "Luna, Artemis. My heart trembles with the force of my love for you. In the past, I have often wished that I could be free of the demands of a senshi. I realize that it can never be so, and yet my beloved friends may fulfill my wish. Please... I beg of you..."

The felines exchanged pained looks. The two had always had difficulty denying Serenity of things that she wanted, but in this case, both had serious doubts. They knew that the girl's decision would be regretted at some point in her life, but neither could find it in their hearts to refuse her.

"Very well, Serenity," Artemis whispered. "We will not awaken the senshi on their fourteenth birthdays as we had planned."

"However," broke in Luna, eyes glittering, "you must first promise that if the Chaos should return, or if another enemy should present herself or himself, you will allow us to awaken them."

The girl was silent for a moment, her hands pressed to the place on her skin where her heart beat. Then a sigh escaped her, and her shoulders slumped in an unladylike fashion. "Very well. I solemnly swear on my duty as a princess that I shall awake my soldiers should I have need of them. But I require vows from the two of you as well."

"We vow as guardians of the princess that we shall not awaken the soldiers unless need be," the cats receited in unison.

"Thank you," Princess Serenity breathed, her soul at rest. She spun in a graceful movement, light returning to her twinkling gaze. "My guardians, you have stood in for me as parents time and time again when the king and queen could not be present. I love you dearly, and pray that someday, we will dance in freedom once more."

Neither feline was given the chance to respond. The river of white light that had been slowly approaching them during their conversation rolled over them, embracing the three in a cold but comforting grip. As Serenity's features began to change, a smile graced her lips and she allowed herself hope for the future before her vision went dark.

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There it is, my prologue. Please drop me a review on the way out. Ciao!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** I was quite happy with the reception this story received. It was popular the first time it was posted, so I'm hoping it will have equal or greater popularity this time around! It was noted once or twice that the previous chapter was rather short – it was just the prologue, and my chapters are usually longer than that, as you can see by this one. For those of you who are looking forward to the interaction of the X-Men, they will be present a great deal more by chapter two.

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The young girl moved swiftly about her bedroom, preparing herself for the coming day. She tied part of her pale golden hair up into two buns on either side of her head, leaving the remainder of her curls to fall in two streamers to her shins. She choose her outfit – a pink halter top and jean skirt with casual pink sandals – with care for the warm temperatures before carefully applying her make-up for the day. Then, she picked up her backpack and moved to the door.

For an instant, her head turned, and she gazed solemnly at the bed. Her mind supplied the picture of a medium-sized black cat curled up in a ball, sound asleep, on the edge of the cover. When she blinked, the image vanished, leaving her with a lingering sadness as she exited the room.

Tsukino Usagi slipped down the steps of her family's new home without so much as a creak of the stairs. Her efforts to avoid her family were in vain, however, for they were all wide awake despite the early morning hour and seated in the dining room. At the bottom of the stairs, she found herself the recipient of four identical looks of outright shock.

"U-Usagi?" Her younger brother, Shingo, made a show of rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He peered at his sister and blinked rapidly, then shook his head. "Mama, I need to get my eyes checked. I could have sworn I just saw Usagi standing in the doorway before noon."

"Shut up, Shingo," Usagi hissed at him, flushing slightly. She narrowed her crystalline eyes at him, sending mental poison darts his way. "You are so asking for it..."

"Usagi, don't threaten you brother. Shingo, eat your breakfast," Ikuko ordered, mopping up a syrup spill. The young mother rolled her eyes in exasperation at her bickering children as they glared at each other.

"Where are you headed off to this early, anyhow?" Kenji questioned, peering at his daughter over the newspaper. He furrowed his eyebrow, wondering how much objection he would face if he ordered his oldest child upstairs to change.

"Wherever it is, can I come?" piped up a soft voice. Crimson eyes peered excitedly at Usagi over a mountain of syrup drenched pancakes.

"No, Chibi-Usa, you can't," said Usagi, edging towards the door. She paused just long enough to slip her sandals on before grabbing the doorknob. The door was partially open when her mother's voice rang out.

"Usagi, it would be a big help if you took her with you today," Ikuko told her.

"But Mama!" protested Usagi, frustration flashing in her eyes.

"It's either that, or you can help me clean all day," said her mother calmly, ignoring the pleading look she was receiving. "It wouldn't kill you to spend some time with your little sister, and I'll be able to get a lot more done if she's not underfoot."

Although she pouted and whined, Ikuko would not be deterred. As soon as her youngest was finished with breakfast, she took the child upstairs and dressed her in shorts and a t-shirt before handing the little girl over to her sulking sibling. After a moment's thought, she also slipped her eldest some ice cream money, which soon had a reluctant smile on the girl's face once more.

The siblings exited the home hand in hand and began to walk towards a nearby park. Usagi, glancing around as she lead the way, sighed to herself. She was irritated with the lack of familiar sights in her neighborhood. Even after a month, the street still didn't feel like a home. Secretly, she had her doubts that it ever would.

About a month and a half ago, Kenji had received a promotion that had him re-locating to America. Even though Usagi had begged and pleaded and cried, she had been forced to move with her family to a little town that she had never even heard of before. To make the move even worse, her soul was weary and pained with longing for her old neighborhood and for the friends she missed so dearly.

After the battle with Chaos had been completed, the inner senshi had reverted back to the ages of fourteen. Chibi-Usa had become seven, Hotaru had become nine, Haruka and Michiru had become eighteen, and Setsuna had become twenty-one. Their memories erased, the senshi had been transported to various places around the globe. Usagi and Chibi-Usa had remained in Japan for nearly a year before they had been forced to move. Usagi was now fourteen, and Chibi-Usa eight.

Mamoru was of no concern to her now. Shortly after the fight, but before the senshi were scattered, he had confessed to his true feelings. He no longer loved Usagi as Endymion had loved Serenity. Although she had been heartbroken, Usagi had used her powers to revert Mamoru to the age of twenty-one and send him to wherever Setsuna was. Privately, she hoped that the two of them would become a couple, because she had long since known of Setsuna's feelings.

Chibi-Usa continued to exist simply because of Usagi's desires. Shortly after the senshi left, Usagi had made a wish on the Silver Crystal for Chibi-Usa's return to her. The little princess had been delivered to her promptly, protected from the timeline by the combined powers of the Silver Crystal and the Rose Crystal. Even this was technically forbidden, Usagi didn't care. Chibi-Usa was her baby.

There was only one flaw in Usagi's plan. Without the outlet for her magic that she gained as Sailor Moon, her powers had come to the surface in a more unusual way. Usagi now had the ability to make sparkly dust fall from her hands, although she thought of this as more entertainment than power. She could also heal both herself and others through touch, which was definitely a remnant of her days as a senshi. Her most unusual and unforseen power was that of shapeshifting – she could become a small white kitten with pale blue eyes.

Usagi didn't really mind these new powers. She was of the opinion that they were kind of fun to have, especially the dust. But she worried constantly about her senshi, who undoubtedly would be having power break-outs of their own. Mutants, as otherwise normal humans with powers were named, were mostly shunned by the world. She feared that the peaceful existence she desired for her friends would not happen and worse, that they would be harmed.

The only one she could keep an eye on was Chibi-Usa, who didn't appear to be exhibiting any powers as of yet aside from her somewhat unusual coloring. Usagi believed that the reason for this was most likely the child's youth. She knew that sooner or later, Chibi-Usa would display a power that was considered to be mutant-like. It was inevitable.

"Usagi, I want ice cream," Chibi-Usa cried, tugging on her hand and disrupting her thoughts. She pointed eagerly to the street lining the park, where an ice cream truck was parked. A group of customers were already lined up, and more people were quickly approaching.

"Okay, okay," responded Usagi, smiling in spite of herself. She enjoyed watching Chibi-Usa be a carefree, if somewhat mischevious, youngster.

The two girls got into line. While Chibi-Usa mulled over the choices, Usagi was fiercely reminded of the time she had been out on a date with Kou Seiya. Seiya had insisted on buying her ice cream, even when Usagi tried to protest. Her heart lurched at this memory, and she blinked to avoid tears. Thoughts of the Starlights made her soul ache more, for she had begun to love the three as she loved her own soldiers.

"I want the Cherry Raspberry Syrup Swirl in a candy cone, and then I want strawberry syrup on top, please," Chibi-Usa declared, eyes dancing. She giggled as both the vendor and Usagi made disgusted faces at her order.

"Er... I'll just have a scoop of Strawberry Cheesecake," Usagi requested, inwardly thinking of how impossible it would be to put her sister to bed that night.

The man handed out their orders and Usagi paid him. She took Chibi-Usa by the hand and led the child to a bench a few feet away from where the truck was parked. They sat down on the painted bench and devoted themselves to devouring their sweet treats. Usagi was so involved in her ice cream that at first, the sound of crumbling metal didn't register. The sound of frightened, horrified screams did.

"Usagi, look!" cried Chibi-Usa.

A car had rear-ended the ice cream truck, sending the truck jolting forward over the curb and into the family that had been ordering at the time. Several people who had witnessed the event were yanking out cellphones and dialing for help as fast as they could, while others rushed forwarf to see if they could aid.

A sick feeling engulfed Usagi as she and Chibi-Usa drew closer. Pushing her way through the crowd and pulling her sister along, she could see a young woman in her late twenties crying hysterically. A man crouched next to her, a vibrant bruise darkening on the side of his face. Grief gripped his expression as he tried to comfort the gravely wounded five-year-old in his arms.

"An ambulance is on its way," someone from the crowd said. The man nodded without glancing up, eyes focussed on the face of the child. It was clear that the child, who had a severe head injury, would not survive until help arrived.

Slender hands closed around Usagi's leg, and she glanced down to see Chibi-Usa holding onto her. The little girl was crying out of sympathy for the dying child. For a moment, Usagi imagined Chibi-Usa as the one who had been hit. The wave of unbearable anguish that nearly overwhelmed her clinched her decision.

Usagi pushed forward, her eyes filled with determination. She approached the family and knelt beside the weeping woman, compassionately touching her shoulder. The woman glanced up, and Usagi's heart went out to her. She couldn't have been more than twenty-eight, and she looked so devestated that it was impossible to not feel for her.

"I understand how you feel," Usagi told her in a whisper. "I have one of my own. I can help your baby, if you will let me."

The woman's deep green eyes flicked past her to Chibi-Usa for a moment and she shrank back, realization flashing into her eyes. Usagi tightened her grip ever so slightly, causing her to glance up. A silent communication passed between them, and then the woman took her child from the arms of the man. She brushed a kiss over the forehead of the child, then slowly handed the child to Usagi, pulling her hands back quickly.

Usagi's eyes closed, and the barely visible silver crescent moon on her forehead flared into life. Pulsating white light bubbled up from her hands, sliding over the child she cradled in her arms. The light was soothing and warm, like a mother's touch, and the child's cries stopped as her wounds vanished.

A hushed silence fell across the murmuring crowd. Everyone was staring at the child. The face of the young woman was filled with hope as she gazed anxiously at her child, then at Usagi. The girl's eyes fluttered, then her mouth stretched wide in a yawn. She blinked, revealing pale green eyes, and looked surprised to find herself being embraced by a stranger.

"Mommy?" she asked, voice unsure.

"Carrie! Oh, thank god. You're all right!" the woman sobbed, reaching for her baby. "Thank you, thank yoou, thank you," she gasped out, regarding Usagi as if the younger girl were an angel sent from the heavens. "Thank you!"

Usagi gave the woman a kind smile, relieved to see that Carrie was able to stand up and move around as if nothing had happened. Her lips parted so that she could inform the woman that thanks were definitely not necessary, but a voice rang out across the crowd before she could speak.

"Hey! Somebody stop that kid! She's a mutant!"

Her head snapped up and Usagi stared at the man who was trying to shove through the crowd to reach her. He stumbled forward when two teenagers moved aside, his hands outstretched, and caught her by the wrist before she could rise. His fingers gripped her cruelly, constricting around the delicate bones until a squeak of pain caught in her throat.

"She's a mutant!" he bellowed once more, his eyes flashing. "Get the police!"

The majority of the crowd picked up on his cries, echoing them in loud, piercing shouts. Chibi-Usa shrank back, fear in her eyes, as several of the adults pressed forward. One woman reached out and snared her fingers into the cotton candy hair, but Chibi-Usa yanked away before the woman could pin her down.

The man had turned to Usagi and leaned in close, his sour breath washing over her face as he spoke in a low tone. "My sister was killed by one of you mutant freaks," he hissed. His free hand went to his pocket and drew forth a small black object from which a silvery blade sprang. "I think I'll justify it by killing one of you in return. It's _always_ self defense, after all!"

He gave a hoarse shout in the next instant, for Chibi-Usa had tripped into him in her rush to get away from the woman. The man lost his balance and fell backwards, dragging Usagi for a short distance before she was able to free herself. Her instincts promptly snapped into gear and she staggered back. She didn't even have to motion to Chibi-Usa – the little girl was fleeing before the man had finished cursing. Usagi tore off after her baby with the man and several others on her heels.

The woman still seated on the ground gazed after them. She touched the red curls of her daughter, gaining a sweet smile in return, and mentally vowed that she would never again fear a mutant.

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Ororo Monroe moved silently through the halls of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, her forehead creased in thought. She brushed a few strands of snowy hair out of her dark eyes as she approached her destination. Her hand came up to knock on the door, but then she paused and a slight smile creased her lips. Of course, there was no need to knock.

"Professor," Ororo said as she pushed open the door to the room. "There is a news cast on the television that I feel you need to look at."

Professor Charles Xavier glanced up with curiosity in his eyes. He directed his wheel chair around the desk and towards the television in the room. Ororo picked up the remote and turned the TV on. She flicked through the channels until she came across one with a young man on the screen. He was holding a microphone and speaking very quickly.

"... in other news, a car being driven by several teenagers had a collision with an ice cream truck today. Although there were multiple injuries of both parties, a five-year-old girl who was ordering ice cream with her parents at the time suffered a severe head injury. Incredibly, another teenager who was at the scene at the time healed the child. She fled the scene shortly after with another child who is believed to be her daughter or her sister.

"The teenager has been described as having golden blonde hair done up in a very unusual hair style – two buns on either side of her head. She has blue eyes and looks to be about five foot seven. The child is described as having light pink hair done up in a similar style and dark red eyes. If you have seen either of these two girls, you are advised to call your local authorities.

"Police say they believe that the driver of the vehicule was under the influence at the time of the crash. The driver's identity has not been disclosed, but due to the nature of the investigation we believe that he or she was under the legal drinking age..."

The relevant part finished, Ororo snapped the television off. "It's been repeating on all of the news stations," she said quietly, the disgusted fury in her voice apparent. "That girl saved that child's life and they're treating her as if she did something wrong!"

Xavier was silent during this speech, his hands knitted together as he pondered. At last, he looked at Ororo. "We must find this girl. Take Scott, Jean, Kitty, Kurt and Mina with you. I'll use Cerebro to lock onto her positioning while you gather them. I believe she may be quite elusive otherwise."

Ororo nodded her understanding and swiftly exited the room. Xavier shifted his position and sighed to himself as he turned to gaze out the window. There was truly something wrong with the world when so-called human protectors would try to harm an innocent mutant who had only saved a five-year-old child from death.

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Please drop me a line to tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what can be improved, etc... Ciao!


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** For those who indicated their curiosity, yes, eventually all of the senshi are going to end up at the Xavier Insitute. I try to make my stories as in tune with the actual shows as possible. In the X-Men universe, they don't downplay the fear that humans have mutants, so I tried to make it as realistic as possible. When reading this chapter, I hope everyone takes into consideration that Usagi has always fought for humans, never against them, which is why she doesn't attack them in return.

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Usagi's feet slammed against the ground as she fled, her hair streaming out behind her freely in a golden waterfall. She had the silent Chibi-Usa, who matched her pace without protesting, by the hand. Just behind them were their persuers – people who refused to give up, blinded as they were by their hatred for a race they didn't understand. The screams and taunts that were only a shadow of what would happen if they were caught were the only thing that kept the young girl moving.

Her chest was burning with agony, and it was a battle to get each breath to her suffocating lungs. She couldn't get enough air between the pants that forced themselves from her mouth, and her body was begging for surrender. She knew Chibi-Usa was suffering just as much, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. The humans would catch them, and Usagi knew she could not fight them unless she truly had to – it simply wasn't in her nature to hurt them.

At the speed at which they were traveling, Usagi didn't see the exposed tree root in their path. Her foot caught it and she tripped, falling hard onto her hands and knees. Pain that may as well have been fire spiralled up her leg as her hands and knees began a slow, persistent throb that had her biting her lip to keep from screaming.

Chibi-Usa collapsed beside her, weeping and gasping for breath. Her face was streaked with tears. Usagi managed to shift herself onto her side and drew the crying child into her lap, embracing her baby with cold hands. They would have to kill her before they laid a hand on her child.

Taking a quivery breath, Usagi began to pray to her mother for help. She begged in silence, holding onto Chibi-Usa with all of her strength, as tears trickled down her cheeks. Laying her head against the soft pink hair when her cries went unanswered, Usagi squeezed her eyes shut and sobbed in a broken manner when the sound of running feet approached the clearing.

A dazzling, silvery ball, about the size of a large marble, of light appeared above the two girls. As the mutant-haters came into sight, the ball began to glow, sending prisms of rainbow light all over the place. The onlookers shielded their eyes from the glare, and when they looked once more, the girls had gone.

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Ororo guided the five teenagers into the room in silence for a debriefing and gestured for them to take seats around the table. She sat down herself at the head of the table, her face a good representation for her powers. Her expression was one that could be compared to a thundercloud.

"What can this girl do, Professor?" Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, was the first one amongst the group to speak. His power was the ability to shoot a powerful red laser out of his eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't control his power, and therefore he was forced to wear specially made sunglasses (for the day) or goggles (for missions) created out of ruby quartz.

"I'm afraid I'm not yet sure of her complete power range, Scott," Xavier replied, folding his hands on the table. "There's no question that she and this child are in danger, but aside from that, all we know is that she is a powerful healer. She could have more powers than that."

"So, what you're, like, saying is, we don't know like anything about this girl?" Kitty Pryde asked, sounding depressed. She twisted a lock of her mahogany brown hair around one finger absently, her brown eyes filled with doubt for their mission. Her codename was Shadowcat, for she could phase through anything that was solid.

"We know what she looks like," volunteered Jean Grey, who had been with Ororo when the broadcast was first seen. She tossed her deep red locks over her shoulder, blue eyes mildly exasperated. Jean was a telepath. She wasn't as strong as Xavier was, but her power was more uncontrollable. She didn't have a nickname, as no one had been able to think of a decent one at the time she joined the team.

"Correct. We have a general knowledge of what she looks like. The announcer described her as having blue eyes and blonde hair done up in an unusual style – two buns on either side of her head with streamers. She's with a child who has pink hair in the same style and red eyes," Ororo receited. "They shouldn't be too hard to find."

Aino Minako, also known as Venus, felt a strange tug to her heart at this description. It sounded _incredibly_ familiar to her, as if she had met these two people before and just didn't remember it. An image danced at the edge of her vision; flickering blue eyes gazed into her own. She blinked and scowled – that was nuts. Anyone would recall meeting a child with pink hair.

Flicking a piece of her dark blonde hair over her shoulder and wishing she had grabbed some barrettes to hold it back, Minako fidgeted in her seat and grimaced. Her glowing sapphire blue eyes were flecked with orange. On her forehead was the japanese symbol for the planet Venus in a very pale golden orange, which is where her name had come from. Her powers involved being able to shoot a yellow laser out of her fingers and being empathetic to a certain degree.

"Vhat's the matter, Mina?" Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler) questioned. He leaned towards her, looking concerned. His body was covered in light blue fur, and he had only three fingers on each hand, as well as a tail. Although his appearance was the most unusual thing about him, he also had the useful ability of teleportation.

"Nothing, Kurt," sighed Minako, shutting her eyes and missing the disappointed look on Kurt's face. Way back when she had first arrived at the mansion, Minako had requested that the occupants call her 'Mina' instead of by her real name. Ever since she had turned fourteen, the name 'Minako' did funny things to her heart strings whenever she heard it. The name 'Venus' did similar things, but to a lesser extent, so she was able to tolerate it.

As soon as her eyes were closed, she was presented with a mental picture of the girl Ororo had described. Minako couldn't understand why, but the girl was in her mind exactly – down to the familiar school uniform she wore. Not only that, but Minako was filled with the strangest desire to find the girl – immediately. Something deep inside of her cried at the thought of the girl being hunted, and she stood up, pressed with the almost desperate urge to find and protect this girl.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Minako said urgently when the group looked at her in surprise. She pressed her hands against her stomach and shuffled her feet impatiently. "Come on, come on! She needs us!"

"How do you know?" said Kitty curiously, but Minako was already hurrying out of the room. The eyes of the mental image of the girl were begging for help, and Minako intended to give it.

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The X-Jet landed with surprising ease in the clearing, sending grazing animals scattering for their dens. The grass and flowers were burned away or crushed beneath the jet's weight, but Storm would make sure that once the jet had gone, the glade received the rain and sun required to make them grow back. She always felt a touch guilty when nature was harmed by humans.

"These are the exact coordinates?" asked Jean as she climbed down the ramp. Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Venus followed her.

"As close as the professor could get," Storm responded. "This girl must be able to teleport or move as Quicksilver does, because she is moving rapidly from place to place. We need to spread out and search."

The group did as ordered, moving into the shadowing trees that provided a little comfort from the hot sun. Venus walked in a random direction, her eyes scanning the landscape for anything out of the ordinary. The voices of her companions drifted away, but she kept moving. She didn't fear getting lost, even though she was infamous for her terrible sense of direction.

A chipmunk chittered to her left, followed by the sound of birds twittering to her right. Two squirrels darted across her path and up the trunk of a nearby tree. The faint hum of crickets surrounded her, echoing around in circles. She stumbled across a group of honeybees sucking nectar out of a bunch of flowers, nearly falling on top of them. Several of the bees rose up, buzzing threateningly, and she hurried on, eagerly leaving them behind.

The sun beat down, forcing her to squint to see where she was gone. A faintness overcame Venus for a moment and she paused to lean against a tree, breathing heavily in the moist, humid air. She gathered her long curls in one hand and lifted them off of her neck – it was far warmer than she had anticipated.

She rested only until she felt slightly cooler. She looked around, sweating, and wondered which direction to go in. A brilliant flash of light to her left caught her attention, leaving her discomfort forgotten. At first, she thought it was just the sun, and then she wondered if perhaps Nightcrawler was playing a prank on her, but as she crept closer to the little clearing, she could see that she was wrong.

The young girl they were searching for was laying in the midst of a patch of wildflowers, unconscious. She was as Venus had pictured and the news cast described, only far more beautiful and real than anyone could have imagined. The girl's hair and complexion gave her an almost ethereal beauty in the golden beams of light, and she looked like a slumbering princess awaiting her prince.

A sudden movement drew Venus' eyes away from the girl. Not too far from her was a little girl who ressembled the teenager on the ground. The child had hair the color of pink cotton candy done up in a similar style, only the buns were cone-shaped instead of round. Her eyes were the color of rubies and were filled with tears.

"Usagi," the little girl whimpered, beginning to cry. She clutched at the shirt of the girl. "Usagi. Don't go, I need you. Usagi!"

Distantly hearing the sound of her heart breaking for the child's earnest pleas, Venus stood up and edged her way into the clearing. The young one looked up, her eyes growing impossibly wide. She made a fearful sound and grabbed onto the unconscious girl, but didn't flee, most likely realizing that she wouldn't get very far.

"Shush, darling," Venus soothed gently, approaching with her hand out. She felt a great love rising within her for the child, and her eyes were as sweet as a mother's when she spoke. "It's okay, little one. Don't be frightened; I've come to help you. My name is Minako. Is that your sister?"

The child gulped and scrubbed at her tears wih one grubby hand as she nodded hesitantly. She regarded Venus with fear in her eyes, but didn't protest when Venus knelt next to her and patted the pale pink hair. A small smile even graced her mouth when Venus tenderly gathered the unconscious girl into her arms. And when Venus suggested that they return to the jet, she followed without a word.

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As before, leave me a review. They really do help. Ciao!


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** One reviewer asked me about Usagi's ginzuishou and her power level. At present, Usagi is repressing her powers. You'll find out more about this later on in the fic. She does have the ginzuishou with her, but this is something else you'll find out about later on. For now, I'll note that she's afraid that her power will somehow restore the memories of her senshi, which is the one thing Usagi fears above all else. Fear makes everyone irrational – something to remember when reading this fic.

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"_I found her!"_

"_We're almost there."_

"_She has sustained a few injuries; a broken ankle being the worst of the lot. Her healing rate is extraordinary."_

"_Will... Will she be all right?"_

"_Doctor McCoy, look..."_

Usagi had one of the worst headaches that she had ever known. Her forehead felt as if someone had stretched fifteen or more extra small rubber bands across it. The inside of her mouth was painfully dry and tasted funny. Her throat burned when she swallowed, and she felt hot and achy all over, the way one does when they're suffering from a flu bug. Her ankle was positively throbbing, and her stomach was sending up warning flares.

She hesitantly opened her eyes, praying that she would not be in some scientific lab. Her hopes crashed when she was met with a pristine white ceiling. Glancing from side to side without moving her head too much in case she was being watched, she was able to spot several beds with hospital white sheets. An IV stood next to each bed with a clear bag hanging from it. Located near the far wall was a bathroom and a bunch of medical equipment that she didn't recognize, and she dazedly noted that Mamoru and Ami would have been right at home here.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed when she saw no one, she sat up slowly. All she wanted to do was burrow under the sheets and sleep for a year, but she was worried about Chibi-Usa. The little girl wasn't in the relatively small room and she feared what may have been happening to her baby when she was unconscious. If anyone had hurt her, Usagi would kill them with her bare hands.

Standing proved to be too much for her body to handle, however. Usagi just barely made it through the door of the bathroom before everything she had eaten the day before came up. She crouched over the toilet as she vomited, clutching her stomach with one hand and her poor ankle with the other. When she had finished, she leaned against the porcelain bowl and breathed deeply and quietly.

Even though her powers including the ability to heal herself, she was always left with the pain of the injury afterwards. The physical injury would vanish as if it had never been, but the pain of the wound remained. It only seemed to be this way for her and not those she healed, so she had never really minded before. As she massaged her ankle tenderly, she found herself re-thinking this policy.

Her head went up when she heard a door in the outer room open, and she thought about hiding or even running away, but that just seemed like far too much effort. She balanced her forehead on one hand and simply waited.

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Doctor Hank McCoy, known as Beast to the students of the school, entered the medical laboratory while concealing a sigh. His heavily muscled frame slumped as he picked up a clipboard from the counter just inside the door. He pushed a set of glasses further up his fur-covered nose and squinted at the writing, making a mental note to write more clearly as he did. His handwriting was truly disgraceful.

"As I was saying, Charles, the girl's healing rate surpasses even Logan's. I've never seen or heard anything like it. It's simply astonishing. She – where did she go?" he interrupted himself, staring at the now empty bed.

Xavier glanced at the rows of empty beds and closed his eyes. He cast about for the girl in silence and found her easily. "She is in the bathroom, Hank."

As he spoke, the girl in question leaned around the bathroom door frame. Her long hair had come out of her hairstyle and now tumbled freely about her shoulders in waves of silver. Her face was positively ashen, but she managed to smile weakly at them in greeting. This effect was ruined when a panicked look flashed across her face and, clapping a hand over her mouth, she disappeared inside the bathroom once more.

Moving over to where there was more counter space, Dr. McCoy set his clipboard on the counter and rummaged through a cupboard. He pulled out several bottles, as well as a water glass. After filling the glass about three quarters of the way with cold water, he added some liquid from the bottles that made the water fizz before he moved towards the room.

"I have something that will settle your stomach when you are ready," he told the girl.

There was a few minutes pause, and then she appeared around the frame once more. She was on her feet this time, although she was favouring her injured ankle, and there was a bit more color in her cheeks. She accepted the glass with a grateful smile and drank it all in one gulp.

"Thank you," she said softly, her crystal blue eyes kind. "Um… if you don't mind my asking, where am I and where is Chibi-Usa?"

Xavier moved forward. "I am Professor Charles Xavier," he said calmly. "You are at my school for gifted youngsters – mutants such as yourself and I. With the aid of my colleagues, we train young mutants to control their powers. If you are referring to the child who was found with you, I believe she is in the kitchen at the moment having cake and ice cream."

The girl relaxed at this information, gaining a more friendly aura. She beamed at them. "I'm Usagi, Usagi Tsukino," she said brightly. "Can I see Chibi-Usa? I want to make sure she is okay." She hesitated a moment, then added, "and I want some cake."

"I can take you to see her right now," Xavier said with a smile, repressing the urge to laugh. "And after that, I have some things I'd like to discuss with you, Miss Tsukino."

Usagi nodded, accepting this in silence, and slipped her feet into her sandals. It had occurred to her that she couldn't really do anything about their situation until she knew more about it, and this seemed to be the one who was in charge. She followed Xavier out of the room with a thankful nod to Dr. McCoy.

Professor Xavier led her to the elevators at the far end of the halls. The two traveled up in mostly silence, broken only by the rustling of her clothing as she shifted her weight off of her bad ankle. The silence was an uncomfortable one, but she wasn't sure how to go about dissolving it.

"Here is your... sister?" Xavier purposely made the last word sound like a question so that he could try to glean more information from the girl.

Glancing through the window, Usagi realized that it was, in reality, a one-way mirror. On the other side a group of children, ranging from the youngest who appeared to be about six to the oldest who looked about nineteen, were relaxing. Several were watching the television with avid interest, others were playing games or reading. She spotted Chibi-Usa by the balcony doors holding a plate of cake in one hand and a fork in the other, icing-smeared mouth twisted in laughter.

"I'm glad," Usagi murmured with a nod. "Yes, she is my..."

Her voice trailed off, and for a long moment, she forgot that Xavier was next to her. Her eyes were locked on the slender blonde standing next to Chibi-Usa. The girl was giggling, her sparkling eyes bright with amusement. As Usagi watched, she flicked a strand of shining hair over one shoulder and smirked victoriously at a boy sitting across from her. Something in Usagi's chest squeezed violently when the girl flipped her pointer and middle fingers up in a 'V' symbol.

"Miss Tsukino?" Xavier questioned, looking at her carefully. The girl had stopped speaking rather suddenly, and now her face was as pale as when she was ill. "Are you feeling alright?"

"What? Oh... oh... right." Usagi tore her eyes away from the girl and gazed at the professor in a dazed manner. "What was the question?"

Xavier looked at her for a moment, then glanced into the room, realizing that the girl had just lost any and all interest in speaking with him just then. "Why don't you spend some time with the other students before we speak?" he suggested.

Her expression, when she looked at him, was as if he had just granted her the ability to live. She nodded eagerly, her eyes glowing, and he understood with a start why Kurt had commented on how beautiful she was. At that instant, when her whole face lit up in a sweet smile, a place inside of him that he hadn't even noticed was wounded began to heal.

When the door of the room opened, every head turned towards them. Chibi-Usa's plate shattered on the ground as she lunged forward with a gleeful cry. Swallowing hard, Usagi caught the child up in her arms and hugged the slender form with all of her strength before Chibi-Usa struggled to get free.

"Usagi," the little one said, her crimson eyes bright, "come and meet my friends!"

She towed her older sister across the room. Usagi followed, her eyes lingering over the people that she was meeting. One was a tall redhead who introduced herself as Jean; another a boy of medium height named Kurt flashed her a wicked smile. He received a slap from another girl who gave her name as Kitty. Then twinkling sapphire eyes turned onto Usagi, and her mouth opened in greeting but no sound came out.

"Hello," said the other girl kindly, extending one hand. "I'm – "

"Minako." Usagi's voice returned to her in one swoop, and the name dropped from her lips on a wistful sigh. She absorbed in the image of her darling friend like a shadowed blossom soaks in sunlight, drink in the smile and voice until she thought she might explode with sheer happiness.

"That's right," Minako exclaimed, gazing at her in wonder. For unlike when the other students of the institute spoke her name, there was no tug of pain. Instead, a kind of sweet joy was vibrating inside of her, and it positively sang when Usagi's hand clasped around hers in greeting.

"Professor Xavier told me," offered Usagi, coming back when their hands touched. She tightened her grasp momentarily, not wanting to let go after so long. "I'm Usagi Tsukino."

A soft laugh escaped Minako. "Bunny of the moon. That's cute. And you have your little rabbit with you, too." She winked at Chibi-Usa, who giggled.

Usagi smiled as the burden on her soul lifted ever so slightly. Her dearest friend was indeed correct. Although she did not have all of her senshi, what she did have was her baby girl and her cousin. It wasn't everything.

But it was a start.

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And there's another chapter! As promised, it had a bit more of the X-Men in it – well, Xavier anyway. Please leave a review! Ciao!


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** I was asked if Kurt would be causing trouble when it comes to the Usagi/Logan pairing. The answer is no, he won't. Kurt will be paired with Minako. I've always been a believer of the theory that Usagi and Minako ressemble each other a lot, and even though Kurt thinks Usagi is pretty, he thinks the same of Minako. Also, this chapter was partially inspired by Celine Dion's song "Goodbye".

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"You can just wait in here for the professor, Usagi," Jean Grey told her blonde companion, gesturing to the large wooden doors. "He's speaking to Dr. McCoy at the moment, but he'll be with right with you."

Usagi pushed open the ornate doors as Jean's footsteps receeded down the hallway. The room was fairly big, with a desk centered near the far wall and a set of balcony doors straight across from her. Two armchairs had been placed across from the desk, with several more taking a backseat against the opposite wall. On the wall behind the desk were dozens of neatly shelved books.

Ignoring the plush chairs out of a desire to be outdoors alone for a few moments, Usagi crossed the room with light footsteps to the balcony. She edged the doors open with only a slight feeling of guilt for the intrusion, thankfully easing herself out onto the concrete.

Night was beginning to fall, and a full moon was rising as stars began to dance across the sky. Leaning against the railing, she gazed up at her home and said a silent greeting to her beloved mother. For an instant, phantom lips brushed across her forehead and a smile touched her face.

"Luna," she spoke then, murmuring into the wind. "Artemis. I am no longer with my family. I have come to a new place – an institute of learning for humans with powers. Minako is here. Chibi-Usa is with me. We will not leave. Visit if you may, but be sure neither sees you. I miss and love you both. Usagi."

The breeze coiled around her slender form for a moment more, caressing her pale skin and hair, then leapt away, carrying her silken message along with it. In a day's time, perhaps two depending on where her guardians had traveled to, her message would be played into their ears.

She slipped off of the railing then and returned to the room, easing the door closed behind her. After a pause, she re-opened it a touch, allowing a cool wind to filter into the somewhat stiffling room. Even though the sun had gone down, it was still warm, and the breeze was comforting. If she strained, she could smell a hint of the sea.

Professor Xavier was still no where to be seen, so she wandered over to the vast collection of books, wondering if there were some she could leaf through. All to quickly, she discovered, most of them were suited for people like Ami. While she could understand some of them, their subject matter was the kind of thing that she used to put herself to sleep at night and she quickly let them be in favor of a large tome with a colorful cover.

"Do you enjoy fairytales, Miss Tsukino?"

Usagi jumped with a shriek, startled by the unexpected voice. She dropped the book in fright, cried out in pain when it landed on her foot, and fell against the desk, cringing. The jolting that came from her body weight caused a plant to tip over. The pot smashed against the floor, sending shards of pottery in all directions.

"Oh, no!" The pain in her throbbing foot forgotten, she sank to her knees and scooped up the plant, lower lip quivering. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I'll buy you a new one, professor, I promise – "

Xavier gave her a kind smile as he gently took the drooping plant out of her hands. "That's quite alright, Miss Tsukino. It was my fault for startling you. Scott, will you take this plant to Ororo and ask her to place it into a new pot?"

The boy standing beside the professor nodded and accepted the plant. His mouth twitched ever so slightly when he felt the moist dirt that were still attached to the roots, but he said nothing as he turned and left the room as silently as he and his mentor had entered.

"To answer your question, professor," Usagi said softly, rising effortlessly to her feet. She peered at him through bangs that shone silver in the light of the moon and smiled shyly. "Chibi-Usa loves hearing fairytales before she goes to bed at night. I... I don't have any of my books with me."

His gaze softening, Xavier smiled warmly at her. "Your parents are on their way to the mansion," he told her kindly. "They should be here soon. You can still borrow the book if you like. There may be some tales in there that you haven't heard of."

"Thank you," she replied, sinking down onto one of the lavish chairs. As he moved around to the back of the desk, she scrubbed her soiled hands against in her skirt in hopes of removing the dirt. She didn't want to stain the book.

"Now, Miss Tsukino," he began, folding his arms on top of his desk. "You have an important decision to make. If you so wish, there is a place here for you at the Xavier Institute. You will live here at the mansion for the majority of the year, excluding Christmas and the summer, when you are free to go home if you desire. You'll attend our local high school. Some of your time will be spent learning how to control and use your powers for good, and we do require that students pitch in around the mansion at times. If you are curious as to the cost of your stay, it is already covered." A slight smile crossed his face.

"It sounds wonderful," Usagi admitted, fidgeting, "But... there's one thing..."

"If your parents agree, you may keep Chibi-Usa with you," Xavier assured her, anticipating the question before it was asked. "The child's unusual hair and eyes are an indication that she has also developed the mutant gene. It is safest to keep her here, in case she begins to show other powers."

Nodding, Usagi opened her mouth to speak. She was cut off when the door to the room opened and a child's wail cut suddenly through the air. Ororo entered the room first, with Usagi's parents, Shingo, and Chibi-Usa behind her. Tears streamed down Chibi-Usa's cheeks, and when she spotted her sister, she fled to the older girl and threw her arms about Usagi's waist.

"Mama? Papa?" asked the puzzled girl.

Ikuko gave a soft sigh and embraced her daughter without responding. She had been terribly frightened when the description of her children had been announced over the radio and television. The relief awarded to her when the institute phoned her home had been so powerful that she had been forced to sit for several minutes for fear of collapsing.

"Chibi-Usa, I'm sure there is no place for you here," Kenji said to his youngest. His voice was stern, but his eyes expressed his own relief at their safety.

"I won't leave!" shrieked the child. "Usagi! I want to stay!"

"If the young one wishes to stay, there is room for her," Xavier spoke up. He glided around the edge of the desk and extended a hand to the parents. "I would be honored to have your children remain under my roof, including your young son."

Four shocked stares and one unsettled one met his remark. Shingo's cheeks reddened when Ikuko's head whipped around to face him and he glanced down at the floor, shifting uncomfortably. Usagi, her eyes wide with the realization, pried Chibi-Usa's arms loose and stood up. A few steps brought her near enough her brother that she could place a protective arm around him. Although Shingo made a face at her act, he leaned closer to her.

"Shingo, you...?" asked Ikuko faintly.

Avoiding his mother's penetrating gaze, Shingo shrugged and nodded after a few seconds. "I can levitate," he muttered finally.

"When did you... I mean, how did you..."

"Mama, please," Usagi interrupted, holding her hand out. Chibi-Usa's fingers clasped tightly around her own in an instant. "Please. It doesn't matter why or how. This is where we belong."

Ikuko stared at her child, stunned. Her sapphire blue eyes flickered with emotion as she gnawed on her lower lip. A voice deep inside of her encouraged her to agree; said that it was time for her darlings to live on their own. When she argued back, the voice gently pointed out that Usagi was a mother in her own right and more so, that she was correct.

Her eyes filled with tears, indicating her storm of confusion. She extended her arms to her baby, to the first child who had awoken the most powerful feeling of love she'd ever known. As Usagi came to her, Ikuko embraced her hard, trying to transfer the strength of her love in her soul into her child. She wasn't sure if it worked, but it was the only thing she had to give.

"Alright," Ikuko agreed, her voice partially muffled by the pale golden locks. She drew back, the tears spilling unbidden down her cheeks. "You can stay, all of you."

Usagi nodded to her, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She didn't want to leave her parents behind, but her heart told her that the institute was where she needed to be. Mentally, however, she blessed the figures of fate for giving her as wonderful parents the second time around as the first. She would need that luck in the coming days.

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Please review. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** I have had a few questions concerning this story. Firstly, **all of the senshi will be at the Institute eventually**. I loathe fanfiction that doesn't include every single senshi when its written during a time period when they are all around. Everyone will turn up. Secondly, I have always believed that Chibi-Usa has started to think of Usagi as her mother. The two of them will be very close during this fic. Thirdly, this chapter has the first interaction between Usagi and Logan, so rejoice! And sorry for the long wait. I forgot to update, if you can believe it.

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She is sitting in the arcade that she visits so frequently. There are lots of people around, playing the games. Some people are smiling and cheering, others are making rueful expressions and pushing more coins in to try and save face. The noise is nearly deafening, but she doesn't mind. She likes the sound of the bells and whistles when someone wins.

The ones around her are those who will always live in her heart. One leans forward, eyes bright with mischief, mouth moving rapidly. The table explodes in laughter. She misses the joke but giggles anyway. Another presses a straw to her lips; she allows them to part and obediently sucks on the plastic. Chocolate floods into her mouth, at first sweet and smooth. The taste turns sour and pinches her throat in harsh coughs.

When she looks up again, he is at the table. His smile is broad but his eyes are shadowed. They all look up and return his smile; the child with the violet hair scoots over and pats the seat beside her. He shakes his head, looking at each of them in turn. She follows his gaze, a quiet joy soothing her chest. His eyes land on hers, and she smiles.

Rages floods his face. His hand raises into the air, forming a fist, and comes down slowly onto the table top. The sound of a thud echoes through the air, and she realizes that somehow the games have stopped. She looks around as a crack spreads across the table, splitting it into chunks. It reaches her fingers, and she spreads her hands over it helplessly, trying to hide it.

Her companions look at her with anger. As one, they rise and step away from the broken table. She extends one hand to them, mouth open in a call that never escapes. One turns, looks at her with quiet eyes, beckons. She struggles to stand up, but when she can't, the one gives a disapproving shake of the head and retreats with the others.

Tears stream down her cheeks. She presses her fingers more firmly against the crack, wishing to repair it. It does not disappear, but the people in the arcade have. Her hair swings in an arc as she spins in her seat, eyes darting from side to side, searching for someone, anyone...

There. In the corner of the room. A young one, small and slender, barely reaching her knees if she were standing. The one approaches, expression stern, and climbs up onto the booth across from her. Young one has to stand to be seen over the cracked table top. She stares, feeling as if she should know this young one. Her mind is blank.

"A riddle," Young one says, although her lips do not move. "She waits in silence, protecting us in our sleep. Pure, facing the darkest evil with no regrets. Her moonlight brightens the night in our lives. She is our saviour. Her name."

She is bewildered by the clues and her eyes explain that. Still without words, she tries to plead with Young one to understand that she can't solve the riddle. Young one's eyes do not move from her own, even when she looks away. Her mouth moves, vocal chords vibrating. Nothing.

"Untold power, hidden in her breast, waiting to be needed. Suffering in silence, awaiting until the period of recollection comes. She lives to see their safety and happiness walk hand-in-hand. Her own life is of no value to all but herself."

Young one holds out a tiny, tiny hand. A face forms in her mind as it does in the reflection, but she still has no word for it. Or perhaps there are too many words, too many names for the one figure. The reflection shimmers, distorts, changes slightly, and understanding hits her. One with many faces, but still one underneath. They speak together.

"She is Serenity."

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Usagi's eyes sprang open as she jerked awake from the dream, flying into an upright position. She glanced around the relatively small room, staring at its contents by the light of the moon, and froze. In the other bed, Chibi-Usa stirred at the movement, her lips forming unconscious words. A minute later, the child shifted into a new position and descended back into deep slumber.

It was warning enough, and Usagi moved with an uncommon grace as she slipped out of the room into the quiet halls of the mansion. The silence pressed in around her, causing her to feel as if she were suffocating. Clutching her throat with one slender hand, she bounded forward.

Her bare feet sank into the plush carpet and her long hair cascaded out behind her as she fled. Coming to the stairs, she took them two at a time, nearly tripping twice, and did fall at the second to last. She hit the floor hard enough to bring tears to her eyes, but the pain was ignored. The front doors of the institute flew open, and she escaped into the night air under the watchful eyes of her home.

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The night was his favorite time if he had to pick one. It was secluded, with most of the world in bed, and there were no annoying teenagers sauntering up to him and asking equally annoying questions. People assumed that just because he worked with the kids, he liked them. He didn't. A few weren't half bad, but the majority of them were just annoyance personified on two feet until they hit the age of at least twenty-five.

Logan reclined against his perch and took a sip from the bottle in his hand. The cool liquid flowed down his throat, but it didn't calm him the way it normally did. He heaved a deep sigh and tilted his head back, gazing up at the moon above him. For some reason, it comforted him where the beer had failed.

He wasn't prepared for the doors of the mansion flying open. Bolting upright, he gazed down with surprise and spotted one of the newest arrivals exiting the house. As he watched, she stepped onto the dewy grass and continued to run, heading towards the path that led to the estate's fountain.

Curiosity waged a war with disdain, and then he hopped down from his perch and stole after her. She was easy to follow, and he arrived just as she was flinging herself down on the thick concrete edge of the fountain. Several strands of her hair settled atop the water like silver tendrils of gold. Her hands came up to cup her face as she wept, her entire body trembling with the force of her sobs.

Awkwardly, he remained in the shadows, unsure of whether he should alert her as to his presence. Had he been her, he would have wanted no one around, but from what little Xavier had mentioned in passing, she didn't seem the type. He searched his memory for her name as she cried, cursing under his breath when it failed him yet again.

"Mama," the girl spoke then, and his eyes darted to her as her hands came away from her face to press against her chest. Tears brimmed in her silvery eyes and trickled down her porcelain cheeks, landing silently in the water. "I'm so lonely, Mama. So lonely."

Her despairing cries began once more, and before he knew it he was standing behind her with no recollection of how he had gotten there. He looked around for a moment, startled, and began to back away. He didn't even get five steps away. The girl tensed with his next breath and her head swung around.

Logan had never been much for a believer in fairy tales – or at least, he didn't think he ever had been. But as he stood there in front of this girl, he started to re-think his disbelief. Her silver hair and silver eyes and white skin caused him to doubt he was staring at a human. The old story of the man in the moon touched his mind and he wondered if perhaps it was supposed to be the woman in the moon before he realized that her name had appeared in his thoughts.

"Usagi?" he said cautiously, and then with more force. "Usagi? What are you doing out of bed so late?"

In retrospect, it wasn't the kindest of words considering the situation. Had his teammates been present, he would've gotten numerous 'you-did-not-just-say-that' looks accompanied by a smack or two upside the head from the more exuberant ones. Unfortunately, or perhaps otherwise depending on how you look at it, his teammates were not present and so there was no one else around for the girl to throw herself at but him.

Shocked and confused by his sudden armful of supple teenage girl, he had hardly wrapped his mind around the fact that she was clinging to him before she dissolved into tears again. He retrieved his balance, having been knocked off when she sprang at him, and stood frozen for a minute with a wailing female hanging off of his neck.

Slowly his mind caught up with the situation, although by that time his conscience was smacking him for being unkind and demanding that he give the poor kid some comfort. He glanced from side to side and sucked in a deep breath to see if he could sense anyone near. Assured of their privacy, he hesitantly placed his arms around her.

As he embraced her, she shifted in his arms until she could press her face into his shoulder. This left one of his hands free, and he tried it at different positions along her back, disregarding each before settling on stroking her hair.

He wasn't sure how much, but he knew only a short time had passed before Usagi's tears halted and she became heavier in his grip. Her breathing was deep and regular when he checked. Crouching slightly, he got his other arm under her knees and lifted, supporting her back with a well-placed hand across her shoulders.

His walk back across the lawn was stealthy and silent. Entering the mansion, he shifted her weight to one arm and a strategetically placed hip so that he could re-lock the main doors. The institute had a fantastic security system, far beyond the means of any normal intruder, but he hadn't gotten to where he was in life by tempting fate.

"Evening, Logan."

"Chuck," he muttered, inclining his head as he redistributed the girl's weight. She wasn't heavy by any means, but she wasn't exactly a feather, either. Without waiting for further discussion, he headed up the stairs.

Xavier gazed after him, a thoughtful expression on his face. He above them all knew how much Logan had suffered. The experiments performed on him had placed him on a level unattainable to most – and those who did reach it couldn't hang there long enough to guide him down to a manageable level.

Yet... the professor inclined his head to look out over the estate. He had sensed there was something unique about Usagi from the minute he had met her. The easy way that she had recovered from being treated the way she had by the humans had been discerning. It didn't appear as if she were suffering from repression or shock, but surely someone couldn't just blow off an event like that, could they?

Perhaps not, he decided, recalling the tear tracks on the girl's cheeks and the dampness of Logan's shirt. Even though he was not yet sure of what to make of her, instinct told him that her appearance at the institute would eventually make life better for them all. Some distant part of him simply feared how much worse it might get before it got better.

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Logan shoved the door of the room open with his foot and entered. The child in the other bed didn't move when he came in, and he figured she was probably still sound asleep and hadn't even noticed Usagi's absence. This was comforting, because it meant that the kid hadn't panicked and awakened everyone, as some roommates were known to do.

He carefully laid Usagi down on her bed, placed the pillow underneath her head and drew the covers up over her. Although he knew he should then leave, he hesitated by the bed, eyes lingering over her beautiful, slender form. Some irrational part of him wondered if she would disappear when the sun rose.

An urge rose within him, and he found himself leaning over her. His breath washed over her as he lowered to press his lips to her forehead. Unfulfilled, he didn't bother to pause as his kiss trailed down her cheek, where he made contact with her smooth, velvety skin more firmly. He pulled away before he was truly ready to and left without looking back.

He did not notice the twin crimson orbs that peeked at him from beneath pale pink bangs. Chibi-Usa giggled quietly to herself as she propped herself up on one arm to observe her sister. Usagi was slumbering, seemingly unaware of what had just transpired, and Chibi-Usa made a mental to note to inform her sister as soon as they woke up in the morning as she snuggled back under the covers.

As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered if Logan would make a good brother-in-law.

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Brother-in-law, father-in-law... pretty interchangeable if you ask me. XD I hope Chibi-Usa will feel the same when she finds out, eh? Please leave a review and tell me what you thought... if you think anything should be changed or anyone added... _ciao!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** For anyone who was curious, the dream can be taken as major foreshadowing. I don't know if anyone will figure it out, because when I explained it to one of my friends, she told me I was nuts. It was mentioned that Logan was acting out of character – I believe that he's somewhat difficult to write as we have never seen him acting romantically. I'm just doing my best. To the person who complained that Usagi's powers make her a loser when it comes to fighting, Usagi _isn't a fighter by nature_. Yes, she is strong, and yes, she will do anything to protect her friends. But it would be totally wrong if her powers incorporated anything to do with destruction or fighting, because she doesn't believe that anything is gained by it. Healing is the natural power for her to have.

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The soft sound of whispering combined with the light shining in her window was what woke Usagi the next morning. Her lovely eyes opened slowly, blinking sleepily, taking in the unfamiliar sight of a window on her left side. She stared for a moment in bewilderment before memory touched her and she sighed, pulling the blanket over her head and wondering if anyone would notice if she didn't show up for breakfast.

"Oh, no you don't," a familiar voice rang out admist even more familiar giggles, and then her blanket was being tugged away from her body. "Uuuuu-saaaaa-giiiiii, I heard you had a viiiiiisitor last night..."

"Go away, Minako," moaned Usagi, pushing her head under her pillow. "It's too early for this."

"Aaaah, no such luck," responded the energetic blonde, grabbing the pillow. "There's two new students arriving today and besides, I heard someone had a very interesting visitor late last night."

Usagi held on to the pillow, swatting the other girl's hands away. "Visitor? What? How much sugar have you had this morning?"

"Chibi-Usa told me, and not nearly enough," Minako declared. She put all of her strength into yanking on the pillow, and wasn't prepared when Usagi released it.

"I still don't know what it is you think Chibi-Usa told you," Usagi said crossly, folding her legs under her and smirking at her fallen friend. "Would anyone like to share some information about this supposed visitor?"

"I saw him, Usagi," chirped the little girl, looking at her sibling with fascinated eyes. "He carried you into the room and kissed you on the forehead, then on the cheek."

A faint frown crossed Usagi's face at this, and she gave the girl a quizzical look. "Are you sure you didn't dream it? I don't remember that."

"I didn't! I was awake!" Chibi-Usa insisted. "You weren't. How you slept through it is beyond me."

Disappointed that the event might not have existed after all, Minako perched on the edge of Usagi's bed and rested her chin on her hand. "What did this guy look like, Chibi-Usa?" she asked, hoping to gain information.

"Tall," Chibi-Usa responded after thoughtful a pause. She glanced up at the two girls on the bed and was struck with their similarity. "With broad shoulders. Strong, to carry someone who eats as much as you do, Usagi! Um... dark hair and eyes... I couldn't really see much more than that."

"Huh. That sounds almost like Professor Logan," Minako noted, combing her fingers through her blonde curls.

'_Evening, Logan_.' The words were in Usagi's mind and then gone again before she could blink. But that was okay, because she didn't need them to be there to know, and this was announced to the others by the way she gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth.

"It's true! I knew it!" screeched Minako.

"What do you mean, you knew it?" Usagi yowled, outraged. She groped around the bed until her hand came into contact with one of the stuffed animals on her bed. "What do you think I am, some sort of slut?"

Minako cracked up, trying to shield herself from the bunny wielding a bunny. "That's not what I meant," she shouted, laughing. "Usagi, ow! Hi-ya!"

"I'll just bet," shrieked back Usagi, ducking the blows of retaliation. "I do _not_ have moonlight romances daily!"

"So it _was _one!" Minako roared triumphantly, and pounced. She caught Usagi by the waist and pushed the other girl back on the bed, pinning her down. "Tell me tell me tell me tell me!"

"Tell you what?" demanded Usagi, wriggling beneath her. It occurred to her that she wasn't getting free any time soon and her struggles abated as she thought fast. "I woke up in the middle of the night and felt a little freaked out because everything is so different. I went outside for some fresh air and fell asleep by the fountain outside. I guess Logan must have carried me back in."

"I'm going down to breakfast," Chibi-Usa chose that moment to break in. She was out of the room before either of them could comment on it.

Minako released her captive and stretched out on the other side of her friend. She gnawed on her lip for a second, then spoke softly. "Usagi, won't you tell me what really happened?"

Usagi looked at her in surprise, then her eyes returned to the ceiling. "Minako... has there ever been someone that you missed so much that you felt like you would die if you couldn't be with them? Someone you'd give anything to see, but who you can't see, because seeing that person would be harmful to them?"

"No, there hasn't," Minako whispered. At least, she didn't think there was, but Usagi's words had given her a chill. A phantom pain tingled in her heart, but when she chased it, it vanished.

"Well, there's someone like that for me," Usagi murmured, blinking back the unexpected tears in her eyes. "It's almost unbearable sometimes. I was thinking about this person last night and I got upset. I didn't want Chibi-Usa to see me crying, so I went outside. Logan must have followed me or something because when I turned around he was just there. I was crying and wanted comfort, so I hugged him and he hugged me back. I guess he must have carried me back to bed afterwards."

Silently, Minako absorbed this new information. The phantom pain returned, stronger this time, dancing a cruel tune on the strings of her heart. She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed shakily as her fingers sought out and clasped Usagi's, holding on with all of her strength.

"Next time... you can come to me," she breathed, and her head lolled to the side. Silver clashed against blue for several minutes, and then Usagi simply nodded her head without speaking.

The two girls remained in silence for a long time. At length, however, the beeping of Minako's wristwatch roused them with the reminder that the newest mutants would soon be arriving. Usagi scooted off into the shower while Minako made their beds and placed the stuffed animals on the covers in an artful position.

Usagi returned to the room dressed in a short skirt, tank top and sandals with her hair neatly tied into its customary style. She went over to her suitcases and rummaged through them for her Berry Berry Strawcherry lipgloss. Carefully smoothing it on, she pursed her now pale pink lips at the mirror as a final inspection before dropping the small tube back into her case.

"One of them is fourteen, and she can control and make fire," Minako said, setting her magazine down on the bed. "I heard she's something like a telepath, although I don't think she's a really strong one. Apparently she has dreams that foretell the future, and sometimes she makes things move while they happen."

"Cool," Usagi responded, plucking her sunglasses out of a pouch. She slipped them on, then pushed them up so that they rested on top of her head.

"The other one is like ten, I think. She can heal like you can, Usagi, although I don't think it works like yours does when she's unconscious. According to Professor Xavier, she has another really creepy power. She can hurt people just by wanting to. If she willed it to happen, she could like, snap your arm in two without even lifting a finger."

The container in her hand fell to the dresser, splattering white cream all over the wood. Face the color of the lotion, Usagi turned to face her friend with the strangest expression on her face. "Are you sure?"

"Er... pretty much," Minako said. "Why?"

"No reason, just hurry." Usagi grabbed her locket out of her bag and stuffed it into a pocket. She and Minako hurried down the stairs, where the new recruits had just arrived and her worst, or perhaps best, fears were being realized.

"Ah, Usagi, Minako," Xavier said, motioning them forward. "Allow me to introduce Rei Hino and Hotaru Tomoe."

"Hey," Usagi greeted softly, shaking hands with Rei, who simply nodded. She turned to Hotaru as Minako spoke.

"Hi," the blonde chirped, extending her hand. She took Rei's hand, her smile warm and friendly. "I'm Minakoooooooooooh!" Her conversational tone became a yelp as Kurt suddenly appeared, knocking her into Usagi.

Hotaru gazed down at the floor, then knelt to pick up the locket that had been spun into her feet. She touched the cool surface, and the image of a gloved hand reaching for a glaive appeared briefly in her mind. When she blinked, the image was gone and the locket was warm in her hand.

"What a pretty locket," she said politely, returning it to Usagi. The child laughed a little, violet eyes serious in the light. "How strange, though. I feel as if I've seen it before."

Standing there, looking into the sweet, innocent eyes of that ten-year-old, Usagi felt hysteria rise in her throat. "Strange, indeed," she agreed, for she didn't know what else to do, and bursting into wild tears wasn't really an option. "Strange, indeed."

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There you are! Two more senshi have arrived! Please leave a review!


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** Just for the record, I think the bonds of the senshi are so close that they all would remember one another, but especially Usagi, even if they had their memories erased. In the beginning of the R season, all of them felt strange when they met up after Beryl. When watching Sailor Moon fight, their fighting spirits emerged. Even without their memories, their love remains. That's why Minako is acting the way she is.

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"Come on, Usagi, I'm starving," complained Minako, tugging on the arm of her friend. She pressed her glossed lips into a pout and blinked her enormous eyes in a flirtatious manner. "I want to go eat."

Usagi flashed her a wry look as she finished mopping up the cream she had spilled earlier. "Save it for Kurt, Minako," she said, entering the bathroom and dropping the rag into the sink. Turning on the water, she rinsed the cloth out and spread it out on the counter to dry.

"I'm insulted!" Minako squeaked, her tone offended. She scooped her sunglasses up and danced over to the door, sulking.

"Really?" asked Usagi doubtfully as they stepped out into the hall. She shut the door behind her and raised an eyebrow.

"Nope," the impish blonde grinned, "He's so cute. Think I have a chance?"

"I don't see why not," replied Usagi, leading the way down the corridor. "He certainly seems to make eyes at you enough."

Minako giggled and caught the hands of the other girl. She leaned back and to the right, tugging the startled Usagi into a spin. "I can tell you're extremely happy for me!" she yelled, tilting more into the twirl.

"I am deep deep down!" Usagi shouted in return, laughing in spite of herself. "Just imagining what your children will look like!"

An outraged squeal was the response she received, followed by a yelp of panic as Minako's foot caught on the carpet. She tripped, releasing her grip on Usagi as she fell. Usagi stumbled away, caught off balance by the sudden lack of opposition, and was half way to the ground when a strong set of hands caught her by the shoulders and hoisted her back up.

Her eyes, squeezed tightly as she anticipated a jarring impact, fluttered open slowly. She gazed up into eyes the color of dark chocolate as her mind caught up with and assessed the situation. Mouth open, she struggled for words and failed with a dazed gasp.

"You oughta be more careful," Logan said, setting the slender girl back on her feet. "You could have fallen down the stairs."

"Sorry, Professor Logan," offered Minako hesitantly, climbing to her feet and tugging her shirt back into place. She flinched when he turned his eyes onto her and tried to avoid his burning look.

"Thank you," Usagi blurted out, her words a rush. "For last night. I really appreciate it, I – " She cut off sharply when he looked at her.

"Don't mention it," he muttered, his cheeks changing color ever so slightly. "Now go downstairs. You're late for breakfast and Chuck has an announcement."

Usagi wanted to say more – _needed_ to say more – but Minako came up behind her and hustled her down the stairs. Her head swung around and she stared after him in a manner just short of longing as he headed back down the hall without looking back.

"And you make comments about the guy _I_ like," Minako teased.

"I don't like him," Usagi defended, flushing. "I just wanted to thank him!"

She was entirely uncomfortable with the knowing look that the goddess of love gave her, but had no time to do anything about it. By that time, they were in the dining room and everyone was looking at Professor Xavier expecantly. He nodded at them as they entered, then addressed the room.

"Students, it has been decided you will go on a field trip," he began, and smiled when cheers erupted throughout the room. "Logan will be your professor for it." He grinned when the groans began.

Usagi listened to the rest with half an ear as she tagged along behind Minako. She patted Shingo on the shoulder as they were past, getting a smile in return, and sat down across from Rei, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa. Minako plopped down next to her, making a face.

"You're not excited for the field trip?" Hotaru asked her in a soft voice.

"So not," Minako growled, flipping a strand of hair over her shoulder. "Field trip with Professor Logan suck. They're always about training and endurance and all that crap. No malls, no clubs, no guys, no fun. Everyone hates them."

"That explains the sudden wave of students heading for the infirmary," Usagi nodded with a chuckle, reaching for a chocolate chip cookie that was calling her name in a high-pitched voice.

Rei pushed the container that held the cookies closer to the blonde, frowning deeply. "So you mean this whole field trip deal is just an excuse to get away from the public eye so that we can really let loose with our powers?"

"Pretty much," agreed Minako, bobbing her head. "Before you ask, training sessions with Wolverine are a nightmare. He thinks that just because he can, everyone can run like twenty-five miles and do a thousand push-ups, sit-ups and crunches in like an hour!"

The expressions of utter horror on the faces of those around her were well earned. Usagi let out a low moan, her head sinking to the table in a pool of golden hair as she allowed her forehead to thud on the table. "Why did I come here?" she whimpered, stuffing a cookie into her mouth in consolation.

"Leave some for the others, Odango Atama," Rei scolded when she reached for a third, smacking her hand sharply. "You aren't the only one here."

"What did you call me?" Usagi exclaimed, almost choking.

"Odango Atama," repeated the fiery girl, violet eyes flashing. "Roughly translated, it means you're a meatball haired little piglet who eats too many sweets!"

"Oh yeah?" hissed Usagi, glowering at her. She responded instinctively to the insult. "Well at least I'm not some stingy pyro!"

Rei's face reddened, and in no time at all she and Usagi were deeply involved in a screaming match. Minako rolled her eyes and snagged one of the cookies for herself to try and save off the headache she could feel approaching as Rei circled the table. The other occupants of the room turned to watch the fight, and by the time Professor Xavier came back into the room with Ororo and Logan in tow, it had descended into an all out tongue war.

"You're such a brat, Rei!"

"I'd rather be a brat than a whiner!"

"Witch!" Usagi shrieked.

"Whiner!"

"Takes one to know one!"

"You are such a child!" Rei shouted.

"Well, you are a – "

"En – ough!" Minako roared, shoving between them and thrusting her arms out to push them away from one another. "I'm sick and tired of you two bitching at each other every damn second of the day! You two are supposed to be friends. Would you start acting like it, _please_?" She paused in the next instant as a severe case of déjà vu washed over her, wondering at the strange words that had sprung to her lips so quickly. Rei had only just arrived at the Institute, after all.

"She started it," Usagi mumbled, interrupting her thoughts. She swung away and folded her arms in a huffy manner. Inwardly, however, she was absolutely glowing. She had never realized how much she had missed bickering with Rei until a fight had sprung up.

The muderous expression on Minako's face was enough to silence her. "Don't you know what they say?" she asked. "'A friend earned is a friend forever', and at this rate, you two certainly won't be!"

There was a long period of silence, during which everyone contemplated this unusual piece of information. After a few seconds, the group as a whole gave the perky blonde an odd look that said they were clearly trying to figure out what planet she had been dropped off of.

"Ah, Minako?" Chibi-Usa coughed. "I think you have them mixed up."

"Eh?" Minako blinked at the little girl questioningly.

"She's right, Minako," Hotaru told her gently. "It's 'a penny saved is a penny earned' and 'a true friend is a friend forever'."

"Really?" asked Minako speculatively. She frowned pensively for a minute. "That does sound right now that you mention it, Hotaru. Oh well. Close enough."

Xavier choose this moment to intervene. "I suggest you all go and pack your belongings," he told the group. "You're leaving for the trip in exactly two hours."

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Sighing softly, Usagi squirmed in the plastic bus seat. After a four hour bus ride, the group didn't seem to be any closer to the mountain retreat than when they had first started out. According to Ororo, they were only half an hour away, but Usagi could have sworn that the woman had said that nearly an hour ago.

She propped her legs up against the seat in front of her and scowled to herself. Shingo, the little brat, had somehow weasled out of the adventure. He had sent her off with a cheerful wave and a mocking smile that had made her want to leap off of the bus and wrap her fingers around his neck. Luckily, before she could committ a crime that would give her twenty-five to life in prison, the bus had started up and they'd left the Institute behind.

The biggest problem she was having was her complete and utter boredom. When she had nothing to do, her mind wandered onto the very topic that she did her best not to think about. Unfortunately, although she did her best, she couldn't keep herself busy twenty four hours a day.

"Seiya..." The word dropped out of her mouth without permission, floating into the air in a soft whisper of pain. Her heart ached at the thought of the vibrant Starlight. Her fingers tightened into fists until the knuckles had turned white as she gritted her teeth in an effort not to break down into tears. She would have given anything to have one of them there with her at that moment.

The event that had brought their images so vividly into her mind was Minako's playful comment about dating Kurt. Usagi couldn't help but recall another person that the blonde had wanted to date, although that one had been a slender, sarcastic silver-haired girl. She wondered if Yaten still missed them.

"Usagi?" Minako asked in a hushed voice, poking her friend in the side. She had seen the tears glimmering in the silvery eyes and felt concerned.

"What?" Usagi responded in an equally soft voice so as not to draw attention. At the beginning of the trip, Logan had informed all of them how very uninterested he was in hearing them roughhouse. The majortiy of the kids were now afraid to breathe, much less speak. Ororo and Xavier seemed to find this amusing.

"Could you open the window?" Minako lost her confidence at the last minute. Despite how it felt to the contrary, she really hadn't known Usagi for that long. She wasn't sure she had the right to invade on a personal matter.

"Sure." Folding her legs beneath her so that she was kneeling, Usagi pushed her fingers to the levers holding the window shut and tugged. They had been told not to open them, but she couldn't have cared less at that moment.

The window proved stubborn and she grimaced as her fingers began to ache. Releasing the leaves, she flexed her hands and tried again, yanking downwards with all of her strength. The pane snapped down with a screech, releasing a gust of cool air into the stuffy bus.

Curling up with her head resting against the bottom glass, Usagi resolved to schedule a visit to Kinmoku as soon as she could. She was tired of longing for the Starlights and not knowing when they would return. It was almost as bad as the want for her senshi.

The ride grew bumpy as the bus rolled over the gravel driveway. Usagi curled her hand around her bookbag and chewed on her lip, looking determined. She gave a mental prayer to her mother for strength and followed her friends off of the bus.

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Another week, another chapter. Let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** Just because Rei understood the nickname, doesn't mean she automatically knows the language. It was a flashback to the days when she and Usagi fought all the time, although Usagi didn't realize it at the time. At the moment, there won't be any conversations in japanese. Hotaru also had a flashback that no one seemed to pick up on, when she held Usagi's locket in her hand. There will be several small things like that – you'll have to watch out for them if you want to catch them all!

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Usagi stepped off of the bus onto the crushed rock driveway and looked around with interest. The place actually appeared to be a camp of sorts, with several buildings made out of wood strategically lined up in rows. There was a forest just beyond the buildings, with a few trails entering here and there. In the distance, she could see what looked vaguely like a playground, although when she squinted she wondered if her vision was failing her – it didn't look like the kind of playground she and Chibi-Usa were used to playing on. Located to the far left and barely visible was what appeared to be a lake.

"Sweeet," Minako breathed, her sapphire eyes wide with pleasure. "This place is amazing! It looks like the camps I used to attend as a kid. Maybe it won't be so bad after all."

"I didn't know you went to summer camp as a little girl," Usagi stated with surprise.

Minako shrugged. "We haven't known each other that long," she pointed out, giggling as Rei was buried under a mountain of luggage from the side of the bus. "That's not surprising, Usa. Be right back."

As the other blonde darted off to help Chibi-Usa and Hotaru dig Rei out, Usagi felt a tingle of sadness. She had known Minako for much longer than Minako thought she knew her, and she had never known that about her friend. She and Minako had shared so much together, but there was still a lot that Usagi didn't know about her friends. She resolved to change this in the future.

Logan returned, a smile on his face. This was worrying in itself, but his smile was also the sort of smile a lion would smile when it has a particularly troublesome pray trapped with no where to go. Usagi gulped when she realized the reason why.

Marching along behind Logan was a woman – or at least, Usagi thought it was a woman. It was difficult to tell, for the brown hair was cut short in a style just a few inches long for a buzz cut. She was dressed in a baggy gray jogging suit and spotless, shiny white sneakers. A silver whistle dangled around the woman's neck. In her hand was a clipboard and at her side was a yapping white poodle with fur as short as the woman's hair. Her eyes were dark grey, like storm clouds, but flat and emotionless.

"This," Logan called out, deliberating making sure that everyone was staring at him, "is Seargent Samantha Slater. She used to be in the army, and she will be your trainer."

"Line up," barked the seargent, narrowing her eyes. The students scrambled into a rough semblance of a line without daring to complain, startled by the vehemence in her voice. "You little brats are now under my control. Every day you will be put through rigorous training until you can function in society as adults instead of the snivelling little wimps that you currently are. If you have a problem with my training, that is too bad. My program isn't for cry babies and I will tolerate no whining whatsoever. You training will begin tomorrow morning, so I suggest you savour the remaining time you have as the blimps on cilization that you are."

There was a very long period of silence, during which numerous pairs of shocked faces watched the seargent turn on her heel and stride away. The woman was nearly to the farthest building before Usagi remembered how to speak and turned to Minako.

"What were you saying about this not being so bad?" she asked faintly.

"Forget what I said," Minako responded, looking shell-shocked. "The woman's a nightmare on two legs!"

As their names were called for luggage pick-up, Usagi realized that the next few days were going to be a lot more _fun_ than anyone had guessed.

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The instant the glowing numbers on Kitty's pink plastic alarm clock flashed to 5:00am, a sharp, piercing whistle splintered the air. The occupants of Cabin III stirred lazily, each looking about the small room in a dazed manner, wondering if a collective dream were being shared by the group. When the whistle sounded again, closer and even louder, it was accompanied by various moans of disbelief.

"This is not a sleeping camp!" Seargent Slater bellowed through the wooden door. "If you weren't the brats that you are you would have been awake hours ago. You children better be down at the lake within the timeframe or you'll get extra training!"

The promise of extra training was enough to make Usagi pry her eyes open and sit up tiredly. She rubbed at her eyes, squinting blearily at the glowing green numbers. When she spotted the time, she whimpered. "Somebody pinch me, I think I'm caught in a perpetual nightmare."

"Nightmare? I thought she just walked away…" murmured Minako, burrowing her head into her pillow. "Oooh, it's too early..."

Usagi sighed and swung her legs over the end of the bed, glancing around the room. She and Minako shared the bunk bed closest to the door. Chibi-Usa and Hotaru shared the one next to theirs. Across from those two were Jean and Rei, and then beside them were Kitty and Rogue. She knew none of them had gotten a decent night's sleep. The mattresses were as hard as the ground, the pillows were so old the cotton was virtually non-existent, and the blankets were made of itchy wool.

She pushed herself up into a standing position, or tried anyway. Her muscles hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that she was awake so early, and weren't cooperating when it came to her moving. Usagi landed on the ground and stretched out with a surprisingly content sigh. Compared to the bed, the wooden floor felt like a five-star hotel bed. Maybe she'd sleep here tonight...

"That woman is absolutely bonkers," Minako growled as she climbed down the ladder. She tripped on the bottom rung and fell backwards with a squeak, landing on her bottom just past Usagi with her legs across the other girls' stomach. "Ooof! Stark raving mad and out to kill us all! I'll kill her first!"

"Could you do it before the training?" a glum voice asked. All of the girls glanced at the door in time to see Kurt, Evan, Bobby and Scott enter, each with an identical annoyed expression on their faces. "It looks worse than Logan's training sessions in the Danger Room," Evan continued.

"I do not like need to hear that like first thing," Kitty said crossly, phasing through her bed. She landed on Rogue's bed below, causing the other girl to jump.

"It gets vorse," Kurt growled, folding his arms. "She's going to be even vorse on us as part of Logan's request because we're part of the X-Men team."

"I don't remember signing up for that," muttered Usagi, gaining a sympathetic pat on the shoulder from Minako.

"Why didn't we stay home again?" Chibi-Usa wondered, loosing her balance halfway down. Jean's head snapped up and she stopped the child's descent before it even began. Chibi-Usa gave her a grateful smile.

"Maybe she'll believe that we all suddenly got really, really sick," Bobby said hopefully, leaning against the wall. "I can fake sick. I'm good at it!"

"I bet she's done this before if she's a training teacher," Rei spoke up, covering a yawn with her hand. She draped an arm around the sleepy-looking Hotaru. "She'll know what signs to look for."

"She has done this before," Scott confirmed. "I overheard Professor Xavier and Ms. Munroe talking about how she was in the army, got discharged, and then became a personal trainer. Logan met her at some bar and trained with her for a while. It was he who suggested her to the professor."

"I'll kill him," Usagi swore, clenching her fists. "As slowly and painfully as is inhumanely possible. If he can heal, good, it'll prolong the pain!"

"Maybe if we remind Slater that we didn't ask for this, she'll go away," suggested Jean, running a comb through her red curls.

"We're not that lucky," Bobby muttered. "You girls better hurry up. It's 5:15am and she wants us there at 5:30am." He screwed his face into a scowl. "Under her orders, wear a bathing suit."

"No breakfast?" Usagi squeaked, bolting upright. "That's... that's... cruelty! Have we no rights?"

"Oh, you have them," a teasing voice stated. "You get food, but not before a jog around the camp and a delightful swim in the lake, which is, might I add, filled with run off from a glacier each Spring." Ororo poked her head in the door, laughing at the twelve mortified looks. "It will be worse if you're late."

A low growl rising in her throat as Ororo's footsteps receeded, Usagi swept Minako's legs off of her and stalked into the bathroom. "This. Means. _WAR_!"

No one in the room protested against what would undoubtedly be their only means of survival in the coming horrors.

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Two new senshi will soon be introduced! Can you guess which ones? Ciao!


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.  
**Author's Note:** Some of you were right with the guess about the senshi, some of you were wrong. For those who were wrong, you were generally right about the two appearign after the ones in this chapter, so kudos for that! I think some of you remember this chapter...?

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The sun rose to its place in the sky, slowly changing the orange-, yellow-, and pink-streaked sky into a deep, mesmerizing shade of blue. A slight breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the forest trees. As the waves rolled in from the sparkling waters of the lake, several students from the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning found their way to the little beach where their instructors were waiting. Most muffled yawns as they approached, earning them indulgent smiles from their superiors.

An unholy moan of pain broke through the tranquil silence, causing the occupants of the beach to freeze. The bushes parted and Tsukino Usagi crawled out of the forest on her hands and knees, her silvery blonde hair falling about her slender shoulders in tangles. She made it to the sand before her body finally gave out and she collapsed face-first into the golden grains.

A few minutes of silence continued, during which the instructors and students regarded this young girl as if she had a dagger sticking out of her back. The bushes rustled, disturbing the peace once more and gaining numerous wary looks. Minako, sporting Chibi-Usa in a piggy-back style, stumbled out. Two steps behind her were Hotaru, Kitty, and Kurt, each with identical looks of sheer exhaustion.

Minako stooped, releasing Chibi-Usa's ankles so that the child could get down. As the little girl stepped away, rubbing sleepy eyes, Minako staggered over to Usagi and collapsed on top of her with a faint moan. If Usagi noticed, she gave no indication. Hotaru paused beside Chibi-Usa to lean over and place her hands on her knees while she tried to catch her breath, but Kurt wasn't one to give up an opportunity to be close to Minako (even if he was dead tired) and threw himself down on the small pile, followed by Kitty.

Another few seconds passed, and then Rei, Jean, Bobby, Rogue, Evan and Scott emerged from the forest as a collective group. Every teen except for Rogue, Scott, and Jean fell onto the pile. Rogue didn't because of her powers, Scott didn't because he felt it wasn't leader-like, and Jean didn't because she didn't think she had the energy to make it all the way to the pile.

"I can't feel my legs," Bobby announced, his voice somewhat muffled by the limbs pressing down on him. "I can see a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel, though."

Steel-toed military-style boots appeared in front of the group, and then Slater was eyeing them as if they were a piece of dirt that had gotten onto her clothing. "That took you much too long," she decided, making several marks on her clipboard. "I'll have to give you even harder training to catch you up to the speed you're supposed to be at." As twelve pairs of disbelieving eyes followed, she then turned on her heel and marched away.

"Should have fled towards the light while you had the chance, pal," Evan said sadly.

"Couldn't someone just like... kill her?" Kitty asked, her eyes shut. "No jury would like, convict us!"

"I would, but I can't seem to move my arms," Minako muttered, pausing for a moment. "Wait, that's not good, is it?"

Somehow, Bobby, who was on top of the pile, summoned the strength to haul himself to his feet. Evan followed with a weary moan, and between the two of them, they pulled up and supported the swaying Kitty. Rei clambered off of the bodies beneath her, her eyes far more exhausted than she would have liked to admit, and picked Hotaru up as well. Minako crawled off of Usagi, who gave a piteous whimper into the sand.

"Are you enjoying the training?" Logan asked, clearly taking an obscene amount of delight in the murderous looks he was being given. He chuckled. "I bet you'll never complain about a Danger Room session ever again."

His amusement at their situation was doing something very strange to Usagi. She could feel strength returning her weakened limbs as he laughed, a force summoned by the rage fluctuating in her heart. Her hands clenched into fists against the sand, grinding the golden particles into dust as her head came up off of the ground enough to turn. Her once dazzling, warm blue eyes were well on their way to becoming a flashing set of silver discs with Logan's death written in them.

"So you think it's funny?" she said softly, almost enough to be unheard.

Unfortunately for Logan, he had exceptional hearing. His keen ears easily picked up her comment, and he turned a smirk on her. "Yes, I do," he told her, his voice taunting. "All the complaints that I hear – not anymore!"

It took a lot for Usagi to hoist her body into a standing position, but she did it. Her muscles trembling with fatigue, she staggered towards Logan, truly infuriated. She looked into his eyes for a few seconds, then spoke, "You are a teacher. You are supposed to teach your students skills that will help them get on in life. Instead, you're teaching them to get revenge and then laugh at the misfortune of others. Well, I..."

Her voice trailed off as she brought her hand up between them. Without hesitating, she swung her hand down with all of the power she could muster. As her hand impacted with his cheek, Logan stumbled backwards. Before he could catch his balance, Usagi collapsed forward into him, sending him down with a shout.

As the waves rolled in over Logan's form, Usagi looked down at him with a cold, fatigued gaze. He glared back at her as he sat up, their gazes clashing before she turned her back on him.

"I don't like it," Usagi concluded, and walked away.

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_Food_. She could smell the sweet, intoxicating scent as clearly as if someone had just set a twelve course meal down in front of her. The growling of her empty stomach increased until it was all she could hear, magically erasing the throbbing of her calf and thigh muscles. On a cloud of delicious smell, she floated along the paths like a cherub and hovered in front of the room, breathing in to control the hunger pangs. _Fo – pain_!

Usagi's eyes snapped open with a whimper as she massaged her bruised nose. The students who had opened the door that had crashed into her walked by without a second glance. She watched them go, studying their scowling faces, and wondered if there had been enough food to go around. Maybe they were still hungry.

Smoothing down the jean shirt she had paired with a black jogging bra (the only clothes she had managed to put on before her nose alerted her to the presence of food within a five mile radius), she caught the heavy door and stepped into the darkened room. Her stomach thundered its rage at being empty, and she hurried quickly towards the table where her friends were sitting. Logan, she was smug to note, was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm _starving_," she said pathetically, plopping down beside Minako. "When do we eat, and don't answer me if you're not going to say "now"."

"Don't worry, Usagi," Hotaru said softly, pointing to the doors. "I think our prayers have been answered." Three women had just marched out of the kitchen, sporting stained aprons and deep scowls. Each stopped in front of a table with metal containers on it. One of the women pointed to the closest table and gestured.

"Yeah, but by who?" muttered Jean, screwing her face up as she received her portions.

Usagi knew how the redhead felt. Her stomach broke down and sobbed as each woman slapped the 'food' down on her tray. There were undercooked eggs that had the consistency of thin soup, oatmeal that appeared to be nothing more than water with a few dollops of mush floating in it, bacon that had burnt to the point where it was nearly unidentifiable, hashbrowns that had turned an interesting shade of green, plain toast that was black on one side and still white on the other (all of which was stone cold), and apple juice that looked and tasted like it had been out in the sun too long.

"Is it normal for hashbrowns to be this color?" Minako asked, staring down at her plate. She lifted her fork and poked at the food with uncertainty. "They can't serve moldy food, right?"

"What a waste of animal life," Kitty said angrily, her pretty features set in an outraged mask. "They could at least have made it appetizing!"

"Cool!" exclaimed Evan suddenly, drawing the attention of the others. "My eggs just slithered off of my plate!"

Several screams sounded as one as everyone leapt out of their chairs and away from the dancing eggs. The yellow center began to pulsate and grow like a balloon, causing Usagi and Scott to dive forward at the same instant. Their forks sank into the wood, missing the eggs by inches, while their owners crashed into each other.

"Catch it!" Kurt roared, leaping forward. In the following mayhem as all of the teenagers converged on the table at once, the end of the table that had no weight on it sailed into the air, sending the horrible food everywhere. Yelps and cries of pain echoed as the end with the adolescents slammed into the floor.

It was at that precise moment that their teachers, with Slater just behind, entered the hall. With open mouths and stunned expressions, the four adults surveyed the damage, which included one moaning pile of colors later identified as Usagi, Minako, Rei, Hotaru, Chibi-Usa, Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Scott, Bobby, Kurt and Evan.

"_You_..." Murder in her icy gray eyes, Slater stalked forward. "You little brats. How dare you waste good food that cost a great deal of money by playing your immature games? I order you all to stay in this room until it is spotless by _my_ inspection. And you had better make it _quick_."

As the woman stomped out of the room, followed more slowly by their teachers, Minako spit out a mouthful of juice and said, "If they paid for this food, they were ripped off."

"I don't think you can call it food," Chibi-Usa and Bobby said in unison.

"She _orders_?" Incensed, Usagi wriggled her way out of the group and stood, drawing herself up to full five feet five inches. Her royal pride had been wounded, and her royal rage had made a comeback. "That... is... _it_."

"Get dressed in better clothes," she said, turning to her sprawled friends. "Meet me at the parking lot in ten minutes."

Swiftly, Usagi exited the room. She strode down one of the paths and hid behind a boulder until she saw her companions leaving. They were heading for their cabins, each looking puzzled, but it seemed as if they were going to do as she said. Satisfied, Usagi slipped her hand into her pocket and withdrew an innocent looking item.

About five inches long, the pen in her hand was a pale, shimmery shade of pink that glittered in the light. On the top of it was a flawlessly cut, deep pink jewel the size of her thumbnail. Although by all appearences it was a regular pen, Usagi's decidedly evil smirk said differently.

"_Give me that! The Luna Pen is for senshi business only!"_ For a moment, the light in her silvery eyes dimmed as her fingers clenched tightly. She could envision her small companion, black fur indignantly on end, crimson eyes flashing, one slender paw bracing the tiny body against her knee as a second paw reached for the pen.

"Luna..." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. A single tear trickled down her cheek and dropped off, landing on the ground. "I miss you."

"**Disguise Power**! _Give me a summery outfit_!" Usagi shouted past the lump in her throat, holding the pen in the air. A bright light exploded out of the pen, enveloping her form as her clothing disappeared. When the light vanished, she was left with a white halter top that had a pink heart on the front. Her short skirt was the same color as the heart. A small pink bow with a heart-shaped middle was tied around each odango. Her two-inch heeled sandals were white with identical pink bows.

Striding briskly down the path, almost running, she tried not to think of the small cat that had been her faithful friend for over three years. She didn't even know where they were, or if they were happy. Were they still mad at her for her decision? She sped up her pace, slamming her feet down with every step she took, reveling in the puslating ache that began to spread up her ankles. '_Luna... Artemis... I'm sorry..._'

"U_sag_i!" The faint smell of sulfer was the only warning she got before she ran into someone at full speed. Caught off guard, she stumbled backwards and tripped, landing harshly on the ground.

"Are you okay? Vhere vere you going so quickly?" Kurt asked, looking down at her in bewilderment.

She stared at him blankly for a moment, her mind still filled with images of her guardians. Then, as if snapping out of a dream, she shook her head and smiled brightly. "Oh, hey Kurt!" she bubbled, hopping to her feet. She bounced past him, swiping away the lingering tears.

"Okay, everyone, listen up," she called out, swinging around to face those that had gathered behind her. She looked into their eyes and felt the heaviness in her chest lighten every so slightly. "There's a resort not too far from here. Anyone who is interested in coming with me can take the X-bus."

"What are _you_ taking?" asked Rogue suspiciously.

A hint of a smirk tugged at her lips. "I've got my ways. Scott, you should find the keys to the bus inside of it."

The leader of the team raised his eyebrows, seconds away from protesting. He was outvoted when Bobby and Evan practically lifted him off of his feet in their haste to steer him away. The others drifted after him, although Minako paused to look back at Usagi, who had already turned away.

Slipping her hand into her pocket, Usagi drew out a tiny object. Only two inches long in size and silver in color, the key had a vertical crescent moon adorning the top of it. A gold heart hung from both points of the crescent mark. On the side of the key, near the bottom, was another vertical crescent moon. The key hung from a silver necklace strung with miniature pearls.

A slight smile flashed across the young girl's face as the object warmed in her grasp. The older version of the Crystal Key Chibi-Usa would someday possess, Usagi's Twilight Key did more than just create a path to the Gates of Time. For one thing, the key could unlock any door.

Starting with the car door of one extremely cruel and bitter seargent.

Maintaining an air of the upmost casualty, she strolled over to Slater's dark blue jeep. A quick glance around confirmed that she wasn't being watched. Satisfied, she pressed the Twilight Key against the keyhold and pushed it in. As smooth as butter, the key slid into the hole and unlocked the door with a barely distinguishable sound. Pulling the door open, Usagi hopped into the driver's seat and set about adjusting the seat to her comfort.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" demanded Jean from inside the X-bus as Scott directed the machine close to the jeep. "You're too young to drive."

"Am I?" murmured Usagi, directing the Twilight Key into the jeep's ignition. With a sweet purr, the car rumbled to life. Glancing over her shoulder, Usagi flipped the gears into reverse and backed out. "Don't get lost!" she shouted towards Scott as she slammed her foot down on the accelerator.

The trip only took about half an hour. Usagi coasted the speed limit the entire way there and was relieved when she spotted the turn-off for the resort. She disliked spending too much time by herself. There was time for the thoughts to creep in.

Slowing down, she turned the car with practiced ease and drove across the parking lot. She backed into a spot in the far east of the lot, where the trees were so bent over that they practically covered the car. She hopped out and examined the jeep with satisfaction. When night fell, no one would be able to tell the car was there unless he or she was practically right on top of it.

"Where's the jeep?" Minako asked her as she approached the bus.

"Jeep?" Usagi blinked as she draped the Twilight Key around her neck and gently tucked it beneath her top. "What jeep?"

Minako couldn't help the smirk that flashed across her face, mirroring the one present on Usagi's face. The two girls linked arms and hurried to catch up with the others, who were gathered in front of the resort and speaking in low voices.

"What are you waiting for?" Usagi questioned.

"We don't, like, have any like, money," Kitty said, looking disappointed.

"Oh, that," she said dismissively, waving a hand. "Go nuts, everyone. My parents inherited a ton of money from one of my grandparents, so I have a huge bank account. Just charge it to the 'Tsuki' account. It's all on me, I insist. Go wild and get anything and everything you want."

That was a total and complete lie. Usagi had no such grandmother, but she _was_ a princess who had enough money stowed away to never work a day in her immortal life. She enjoyed spending her money on her friends and family, although most of the time, they wouldn't accept it. Luckily, this time, her offer was accepted without much fuss.

A few hours later found Usagi stretched out by the pool in a reclining lawn chair, wearing her brand new pale pink bikini that, according to Minako, "showed off just enough of everything". She sipped from a glass with an icy, deep purple concotion that tasted like blueberries and apples and gave a contented sigh, peering up at the cloudless blue sky through her brand new pink sunglasses.

"Oh, wow, he looks like my old boyfriend!"

The drink in her hand hit the ground, splattering purple liquid in every direction. Usagi sat up slowly and pulled off her sunglasses, her eyes rapidly scanning the surrounding area for the owner of the familiar voice with the even more familiar phrase. It didn't take her long to track down the source – not too far away, a girl dressed in a metallic green bikini that matched her eyes leaned forward on her chair, emerald orbs glued to Bobby. Her tossled, chestnut brown hair spilled around her shoulders.

"Which one is it this time, Mako-chan?" asked another voice, this one softer and more shy. A book in her hands, the girl beside the first glanced up with a mischevious smile and sparkling sapphire eyes. Her hair was a darker shade of blue and cropped off several inches from her shoulders. She was wearing a modest, one piece suit that was a pretty shade of pale blue.

"Right there! Don't you see him, Ami-chan? Isn't he dreamy?" the first girl pointed at Bobby, her eyes following his every movement.

"I'll introduce you if you want." The words were out of Usagi's mouth before she could reign them in. Both girls looked at her, startled, so she gritted her teeth and went on. "I'm Tsukino Usagi. The guy you're gesturing to is Bobby."

"I'm Mizuno Ami. It's nice to meet you, Tsukino-san. My love-struck friend here is Kino Makoto, and I think she should love to you up on your kind offer."

Usagi laughed softly, tossing a strand of her hair over one pale shoulder. "It's just Usagi, please," she assured them, rising to her feet. "Bobby and I are here with our other friends for training of sorts, but our seargent is really mean. We came here to get a break."

"And if we get in trouble, you are getting blamed!" a feminine voice interrupted. Minako, dressed in a tiny dark blue bikini, marched over. She held a red beach ball in her arms. "I'm Aino Minako. Minako, please," she added.

"In that case, I am just 'Ami' and this is just 'Makoto'," said Ami, indicating Makoto.

Smiling, Usagi took Makoto by the hand and led her over to the pool with Minako and Ami on her heels. She called out to Bobby, motioning for the boy to come closer. When he was within distance, she said, "Bobby, this is Makoto. Makoto-chan, this is Bobby."

Faced with a stunning young girl clad in only two small pieces of clothing, Bobby's cheeks turned bright red. He smiled awkwardly and said a quick hello before turning away hurriedly. Makoto swooned in response, fainting blissfully into Minako's startled arms with a light moan. Usagi stuffed her fingers into her mouth to hide her giggles.

As Ami and Minako guided the dazed Makoto away to recuperate, Usagi sat down on the edge of the pool and wiggled her toes into the delightfully cool water. She looked down through the liquid at her feet and thought about her missing friends. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna were the only ones still absent. In a way, she was reassured that they were the ones who were gone – as the oldest senshi, those three were most capable of taking care of themselves.

Despite that, she couldn't help but be worried about them. She knew that she would know if any of them became physically hurt, but she knew nothing about their emotional states when they were seperated. Were they happy? Did humans scold them for being different? Did they remember anything at all? Was –

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked.

Startled, Usagi looked up to see Makoto standing beside her. The taller girl sat down, adjusting her bikini with a sheepish smile. "By the way, thanks for the introduction. I know I get silly over guys sometimes, especially ones who ressemble former boyfriends."

"No problem," Usagi said, trying to smile. She failed. Two enormous tears ran down her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" asked Makoto gently.

"No," she choked out, trying to hold back her tears. "There are these people... I miss them so much. It's killing me inside. I don't want to live this way. They don't even know me. If I walked by them on the street, none of them would know me as anything but a stranger. I wanted it this way but... I can't stand how much it hurts." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

A confused look crossed Makoto's face. "How come they don't remember you? Were you friends before but you completely changed your image or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I've changed a little... maybe a lot. I just love them so much. I'd gladly jump off a cliff if it meant I could talk to them for just one minute the way I used to. I wish... I wish I could talk to any of them and tell them how much I love them and how much I miss them."

During this confusing speech, Makoto had been looking at the girl next to her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she _knew_ Usagi. Knew her, and loved her, for reasons she couldn't begin to fathom. It was this strange knowledge that caused Makoto to extend her hand and close her eyes. A green glow glimmered on her forehead, echoed in her hand. The glow formed into a single rose made out of emerald lightening.

Usagi gasped as she was given the rose, her grief banished temporarily by wonder. She touched a petal lightly, marveling at the fact that it didn't hurt even though she was touching lightening. Awe in her eyes, she glanced at her friend, touched. "Makoto-chan, thank you."

"You're not angry?" Makoto asked, seemingly surprised.

"Why on Earth would I be angry?" Usagi asked, bewildered. She closed her hands around the gift, looking alarmed. "I can keep it, right?"

Makoto laughed, giving her an odd look. "Usagi-chan, I'm a mutant. A freak."

"Oh, that," came the dropped mutter, and then Usagi peered up at her through silvery bangs. "I'm a mutant, too, Mako-chan. I have someone for you to meet, too. His name is Professor Xavier. He works with _gifted_ children like us, to help us control our powers. You and Ami-chan should come and meet him. He's very kind."

"I... I guess we could come," Makoto said hesitantly, still stunned at the thought of meeting another mutant.

A sweet smile on her face, Usagi stood up. She held the rose in one hand and extended her other hand to Makoto. "This is the best gift I have ever been given," she said sincerely, and for a moment, Makoto felt herself standing at the crossroads of double meanings. "Thank you."

After a moment, Makoto's hand met hers. Together, mournful princess and unknowing senshi walked into the crowd of people to search for the remainder of their friends. Usagi left her sorrow and grief behind at the place where another one of her beloved friends had accepted her once more.

Besides, there was beach volleyball to be played.

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A rather long chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Ciao!


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** As I have said before, and I doubtlessly will have to say many times again, all of the senshi will be in this story. That includes the following: the Outers, the Starlights, Galaxia, Chibi-Chibi, and Kakyuu. So please don't worry about any of them showing up – believe me, I love them all and they will show up.

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"_Minako," complained Usagi, wiggling in protest as her friend squirted the cold lotion on her back. "That's cold!"_

"_I think that's the point," responded the other blonde, smirking as she began to rub in the sun block. Although it was late afternoon and the worst of the sun's rays had come and gone, Usagi hadn't wanted to take any chances in getting a sunburn. She had important plans for the night, and a painful, itchy burn wasn't part of them._

"_Hold still," Minako scolded, pressing the tips of her fingers into Usagi's shoulders. Pouting a bit, Usagi shifted just enough so that she could see Michiru out of the corner of her eye. The beautiful, aqua-haired woman was stretched out on a lawn chair, wearing a pale green bikini that had more than just a few men gawking at her. The only reason said men weren't getting their eyes poked out was because Chibi-Usa and Hotaru had sweet-talked Haruka into building a sandcastle with them._

"_Michiru-san," said Usagi, muffling a yawn as the older girl glanced at her questioningly. "What time is your concert again? I don't want to be late."_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

_Michiru smiled slowly, her entire face glowing. Her eyes glittered like two jewels stolen from the depths of the ocean as she spoke. "It's at seven, Usagi-chan," she replied. "And I already told you, you don't have to come. I'm not the only one performing. You'll get bored."_

"_But I want to come," Usagi murmured, making a soft sound of contentment as Minako massaged the lotion into her thighs. "I like to hear you play. It's like the breezes from the ocean... It's pretty. It's worth sitting through those other people to hear it."_

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

_Before the older woman could respond, the other senshi arrived, many soaked from a dip in the sea. Usagi stretched and opened her eyes, looking around with a satisfied look. All of the people that she loved most were sitting around her. Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Hotaru, Michiru, Haruka, Setsuna, Chibi-Usa, Luna, Artemis, Diana, Yaten, Taiki, Sei – ... A small frown came over her face. Where was Seiya?_

Beep. Beep. Beep. BEEP.

_Before the silvery-haired girl could ask where her missing friend was, the other senshi suddenly grinned at her. She blinked at them for a minute in bewilderment, then yelped as she was scooped up without warning. "Seiya, stop!" she yelled, laughing, when the mischevious Starlight began to race towards the ocean._

BEEP. BEEP.

"_Seiya! I said stop!"_

BEEP.

"_I mean it, Kou Seiya! Don't you dare throw me in!"_

BEEP.

"_SEIYA!" Usagi howled as she was unceremoniously deposited into a waist-high wave. The cool water was actually refreshing against her hot skin, but that was the last thing on her mind. First and foremost was tracking down that rambunctious Starlight!_

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"_What on earth is that – "_

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"Noise?"

Tsukino Usagi opened her eyes and looked up at the wooden ceiling above her. A sense of longing and wistfulness settled around her as the remnants of her dream faded away. She had been so happy being with her friends, even if it was just for a minute. It was so hard to return to real life again.

Her heart felt heavy within her as she sat up, careful not to strike her head on the ceiling, and climbed down the ladder. She crossed the room and picked up the bright orange, plastic digital alarm clock that was currently going wild. She snapped it off and looked at the bright green numbers. It was only seven minutes after four in the morning. Right on time.

Returning to the bed, Usagi leaned against the ladder for a minute and yawned. They had only returned to the camp at around eleven the night before. The place had been totally silent, all of its occupants sound asleep, so Makoto and Ami had taken Usagi's bed for the night while Usagi bunked with Chibi-Usa.

A gleeful, if slightly wicked, smile crossed the princess's face as she pictured the look on one Seargent Slater's face if she and her friends could pull off what Usagi had planned for the morning. It would take a bit of work, of course, but she was confident that they could do it.

The first step was to get dressed. Usagi felt her way over to where the dressers were. She had laid her clothes out on top the night before. Swiftly, she stripped herself out of her nightgown and pulled on her bathing suit. Over it, she pulled on a pair of cotton pink shorts and a purple tank top, then stuffed her feet into her sneakers. The nice thing about having her hair in odango all the time was that it stayed relatively neat even when she slept, so she didn't have to waste time on it when she was in a hurry.

This done, she crept back towards the beds. Or at least, that was the general area she was aiming for. Instead, when she had put on her left sneaker, she hadn't realized that her foot had gotten tangled up in the strap. Usagi tripped with a squeal, landing with a yelp on the person in the nearest bed.

"What – who – " The girl whom she had fallen on woke with a shout, awakening the rest of the group. Usagi cringed internally as cries and questions were called out, confusion reigning until the lights flickered on, revealing Jean standing beside the light switch. Everyone looked accusingly at the bed that had the blonde-haired girl.

Laughing nervously, Usagi pushed herself up off of Rogue, who seemed to be frozen in place. "Sorry," she apologized, patting the girl on the bare shoulder as she scrambled off of the bed. "I tripped."

Rogue simply stared at her. Usagi blinked at her, a little surprised by the silence, but shrugged it off, figuring the other girl wasn't a morning person. Hell, Usagi herself usually didn't like to admit that mornings existed, but this was one occasion where she didn't mind getting up in the least.

"Okay, girls," she said loudly, spreading her legs and propping her hands on her waist for effect. "We're going to get that meanie if it kills us. You guys get dressed while I go wake up the boys. Meet me at the lake in ten minutes. Chop chop!"

As the blonde bounced out of the room, she heard the girls grumbling as they slowly got ready and smiled to herself. She knew that even though it sucked to get up so early, it would be worth it if she could carry out her plan. Much to her surprise, she wasn't even that tired as she slipped through the woods to the boy's cabin. Maybe there was something to be said for getting up early after all!

"Or not," the girl said under her breath, slapping the mosquito on her arm as she climbed over the railing on the boy's deck. She pounded on the door, waited, pounded some more, waited some more, and then started yelling.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott demanded, yanking the door open. He stared at her as if she were possessed. "It's four thirty in the morning!"

"And since you're up already, come and meet me at the lake. All of you," the bunny added, rolling her eyes when his jaw twisted. "You've got five minutes. I'd hurry if I were you!"

Before he could protest, she vaulted off the porch and disappeared down the trail to the lake. It felt odd to be awake when it was still dark outside, when the sun hadn't even though about rising yet, but it felt nice at the same time. Usagi realized that she was enjoying the unusual peacefulness. She wasn't used to having silence, but it was something she could learn to like.

All too soon, her silence was disrupted by the arrival of her very unimpressed friends. She received more glares mixed with yawns in those two minutes than she had on any other occasion. The thought made her want to laugh, but she held it in. Barely. It was only the realization that Rei might strangle her for real that made her restrain herself.

"I know you're wondering why you're here," she began, linking her hands in front of her. "When Slater realizes that her jeep has been… borrowed, she will immediately turn to us, even without proof. It will annoy the hell out of her if we're acting like perfect little angels. That's why I woke you all up so early – so we could get what seems like a head start on that ridiculous schedule she set up yesterday. Since no one actually wants to follow it, it will take time to make us _look_ like we are."

"That... makes sense," Rei said slowly, drumming her fingers against her arm. "That might actually work, Odango Atama. It seems you have your intelligent moments after all, despite how idiotic you really seem."

Usagi stuck her tongue out in reply before she continued. "Here's what I've come up with. Slater isn't awake yet, so we don't actually have to run all those miles. All we have to do is run until we're out of sight of the camp, and then we can just walk. She'll be so preoccupied with her car that she won't bother to check up on us and make sure that we're running. Jean can sense anyone who would tattle on us, and if anyone does come by, we'll just run until that person goes away.

"Once we come back, we'll go for our swim. Before we leave, Rei can use her powers to create a fireball in the middle and bottom of the lake. Ami and Bobby can surround the fireball with a shield of ice. While we're on our run, the ice will slowly be melted by the heat of the fire. At the same time, the water will get warmer. The shield will prevent the water from putting the fire out until it melts, and it will also prevent the lake from getting way too hot. There won't be any evidence behind at all.

"If Scott will lend me his cellphone, I can call the restaurant we were at yesterday. They deliver, so by the time that we are done our run and our swim, a real breakfast will be waiting for us. If anyone gets suspicious, well, I don't think they'll blame us for not wanting to eat that awful breakfast. I bet a lot of people won't show up. I've seen a lot of people snacking off candy and chips from the camp's little shop.

"Finally, once we've finished eating, we can avoid even pretending to do the rest of that crap by introducing Makoto and Ami to Professor Xavier. That's much more important than any of this so-called training, don't you think? At the same time, if he brings it up, we can plead our case for yesterday. I don't know if he'll say anything, but I imagine he'll be way more lenient with two new recruits," Usagi finished and looked around nervously. "What do you think?"

Her friends were peering at her with stunned expressions. It was clear that the details of her plan hadn't occurred to them. After a moment of thought, Jean nodded slowly, her red hair bobbing around her shoulders. "That might actually work," she said hesitantly. "If we can pull it off."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Minako said, holding her hands up in the air. "It's getting late! ... I can't believe the sun isn't up and I just said that..."

Biting on her lip to keep from smiling, Usagi accepted Scott's cellphone and dialed the number to the hotel. Her friends passed, heading down towards where the waves were breaking against the beach. A grin spread across Usagi's face, her eyes sparkling silver for a minute as she released the breath she had been holding. Even though she was an intelligent girl, even if she was lazy, she had a tendency to act more silly than she really was. Part of her had feared that her plan would be rejected outright.

The ringing in her ear stopped, replaced by a chirpy female voice. Usagi ordered several different kinds of food, as she was unsure of what her friends liked the best. She was also hoping that there would be enough left over to have lunch and perhaps even dinner. As an afterthought, she also requested several kinds of dessert, as well as plates, utensils and drinks.

"Okay, done," she announced, turning around. Her mouth dropped open as her eyes grew wide. Ami and Bobby were standing a short distance apart, their hands outstretched towards each other, the tips of their fingers just brushing. Rei held her hands above theirs, a red ball of fire shimmering in her hands. Ami and Bobby shut their eyes in concentration – a shining globe of pale blue and white ice began to emerge around the fire. At the last second, Rei drew her hands back, allowing the globe to fully encase the fire.

Jean stepped forward, one hand to her forehead and one hand pointed towards the globe. She raised it into the air using her powers, then directed it out towards the middle of the lake. Her hand lowered as the globe did, forcefully shoving the water out of the way. After several minutes, her hands dropped to her sides and she nodded to show that the globe had reached the bottom of the lake.

"Great job," Usagi said, approaching the small group. She looked very carefully at Rei and Ami, and then she hurtled herself at them without any warning. Both girls gave startled cries as the blonde crashed into them and threw an arm around each one.

"What are you doing?" Rei exclaimed, stumbling to catch her balance. She stared down at Usagi as if the girl had lost it.

"Sorry," whispered the blonde, and squeezed her eyes shut as she held on. She felt Ami hug her back, and after a moment, so did Rei. Seeing the powers of fire and ice come alive in her friends had been more than she could bear. Hugging them had been the only thing that she could think of doing.

"Are you okay?" Ami questioned as the girl drew back. Her warm blue eyes were filled with surprise and concern.

"I'm fine," Usagi said quietly, and sucked in a deep breath before she tossed her hair back. Her eyes, when she looked up, were determined. "You guys start running. I'll catch up."

After a moment of hesitation, Bobby and Scott led the majority of the group up the hill to the trail. Minako and Chibi-Usa remained behind, staring at Usagi. The blonde had her hands clutched to her chest, her back turned towards them as she looked out over the lake. Minako sighed slightly, feeling unsettled, and took Chibi-Usa by the hand. They walked slowly after their friends.

Alone, Usagi lowered her head. Her eyes filled with tears as she shut them. The pain snuck up on her at the oddest times. She could be fine one minute and sick with longing the next. Her heart was in constant turmoil, and although she had thought it would be better with her friends around, it was worse. All she wanted was a hug – it didn't matter who it was from, as long as the person who gave it to her could hug her with the force of over a thousand years of memories.

"All I wanted was for them to be happy," she cried without warning, feeling her grief become anger. She stooped and dug her nails into the sand, scrabbling for a rock. One of her fingers pricked a sharp edge but she ignored it, scooping up the offending rock. "I wanted for them not to suffer! Why does it hurt so much?"

Crooking her arm, she threw the rock out towards the lake. "Why?" she screamed, stamping her foot, watching as the water exploded around the projectile through her tears. "I hate this! I want my friends back! _I want my friends back_!"

As quickly as her rage had come, it left. Usagi collapsed in the surf and dissolved into tears. "I want my friends back," she whimpered, holding her injured hand to her mouth. She licked at the small stream of blood, sucking on the wound as still more tears streamed down her cheeks. "I want my friends back."

For several seconds, she remained kneeling alone. The waves became higher and more forceful, and when one washed over her knees and soaked her shorts, she opened her eyes and looked down at the water as if seeing it for the first time. New tears glistened in her shining eyes, but this time, they weren't from grief.

"Michiru-san," she whispered, trailing several fingers through the cresting waves. Her hand came back glistening as the wind blew, brushing the droplets from her skin. "Haruka-san... You're right. I'm not alone. I'm being silly again."

Usagi gathered the remainder of her strength and turned her back on the rising sun. She began to jog up the path, leaving her sorrow behind for the moment. '_Everyone... I love you. I want you to be happy, so I will wait for you in silence. Just be happy for me. That's all I need._'

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The sound of cracking bark echoed through the small clearing as Logan landed neatly on the ground. His shirt and pants were stained with sweat and he was breathing heavily. The tree he had been practicing on was bent slightly, the trunk no longer straight, with little to no bark left where he had been striking. He had been training for several hours, heedless of the rising sun. His mind had been preoccupied with a blonde vixen ever since yesterday morning.

When news of the missing students had spread around camp, it had taken a lot for him not to laugh. He was normally a gruff man, but the picture of the enraged Slater storming around her office breaking things had been a lot for even him. Ororo and Charles had decided against searching for the students until the next moring, since it would have been all over the news had there been any trouble, and everyone had been certain that the team would have returned by the new dawn.

Logan sighed and released his metallic claws, distantly noting the familiar sound as they slipped out of his skin. His mind had been going over his last encounter with Usagi since the girl had stalked away. On the one hand, he knew that she was right and that he was being a vindictive bastard. On the other hand, he didn't take lightly to being pushed around by anyone and he knew that she knew it.

The girl was only fourteen, and yet he felt more diferently about her than anyone he could recall meeting. She was beautiful on the inside and out, perfection in its most elegant of times. Her attitude was primarily accepting, even to those who at first sight would be frightening to most, and she was kind, sweet and gentle on top of that. Added to that the sorrow that the small girl seemed to carry within her soul, and she was an enigma that he simply could not figure out.

Of course, common sense (and the cold lake water) told him that she was not perfect. She had the tendency to act silly, klutzy and ditzy, and her temper was something fierce, especially when she was standing up for someone who had been wronged in some way. She also had a dislike for rules and obviously, no qualms about breaking the ones she thought unfair.

But... even through her faults, Tsukino Usagi drew people to her like a moth to a flame. She already had the majority of the X-Men team wrapped around her little finger. She was a natural leader, but she didn't feel like a leader. Even though he did not know it at the time, Logan was experiencing the first person he had ever met who was literally born to rule.

Footsteps approaching him broke him out of his thoughts. He glanced up sharply, one hand half-raised in case of danger, and breathed in. The sweet scent of the sea intermingled with strawberries swirled around him, and his stomach sank to his feet. Of all the people he did _not_ want to see...

And there she was, coming along towards him at a slow clip. The bottom half of her tank top and hair, as well as her shorts, were soaked, with water literally dribbling down her legs. Her sneakers made a squishing sound with every step that she took. As she approached, he could see that her face was streaked with tears. She had been crying, and fiercely at that.

Sensing someone was close, Usagi looked up. She slowed to a walk when she saw him and stopped a short distance away. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "For pushing you in the lake. It was wrong of me."

He looked at her, startled, having not expected her apology. Some part of him felt like apologing as well, but he beat it down. Logan did not apologize unless he absolutely had to. "Yeah," he muttered, because she seemed to be expecting him to say something.

To his surprise, her face brightened. She smiled at him, tossed him a sunny good-bye, and ran past into the forest. He watched her go, too shocked to protest. She was nearly out of sight before he regained the ability to think, and she was out of sight before he regained the ability to walk.

Shaking away any and all of his earlier thoughts, he decided to return to the camp and began walking back the way Usagi had come. He wanted a shower and a short nap before the kids returned and fireworks started… and he needed to find a way to remove the tear-stained, beaming face of one Tsukino Usagi from his mind.

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God, I almost made myself cry with this one. Please review!


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies.

**Author's Note:** Some of the questions I was asked will be addressed in this chapter. A lot of people just ignore my author's notes, and I keep getting asked the same questions over and over. It's really irritating, so from now on, either read my notes or just wait to see. I don't know what else I can say! To the person who asked when the senshi will have their memories returned, I don't think that happens until chapter twenty-five or so.. a bit of a wait, yet! I have good news, though - two more senshi make their appearence this chapter!

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Several minutes after her encounter with Logan, Usagi still had not caught up to her friends. She knew that she was close, and she had deliberately slowed her pace to a walk so that she could have some time to think over her relationship with Logan. Not that she _had_ a relationship with Logan to think over, since he was technically her professer and she was the student. Plus...

Usagi came to a halt and stared down at her slender body with badly disguised contempt. By all rights, she was supposed to be a sexy nineteen-year-old. Instead, she was a somewhat childish, still developing fifteen-year-old. When the senshi had been split up across globe, their ages had been reverted back to when they first became senshi so that their lives could continue unimpaired. That left her making the trip through puberty all over again, when she still vividly remembered the first time around.

"Something tells me I didn't think this all the way through," Usagi said under her breath, cupping her now agonizingly small breasts. She patted her thin hips and then her tiny ass, missing the curvaceous form she had once shown off so gracefully.

She sighed piteously and started to move once again. At her current age, it was even more forbidden for anything to happen between she and Logan, even if she wanted it to. And Usagi wasn't sure she _wanted_ anything to happen, but she wanted the option there if she so choose.

"So what do I do?" she asked out loud, swinging her arms wide. "Do I leave my friends as kids and take back me? That's so unfair. I'm technically over a thousand years old, but could I ever feel okay with asking anyone to wait for me to grow up?"

In her heart, a small part of her knew and understood that once she accepted her power in its rightful form back into her life, she would return to her original form. The same thing would happen to her friends once their powers were unlocked. But she didn't want to think about that just then; she didn't want to admit that someday her friends might have to return as senshi.

Sighing to herself, Usagi realized that she had come about in a full circle. She didn't want to force her friends to become senshi again, but she was miserable without them even when her non-existent relationship with Logan wasn't factored in. They seemed to be happy, but could she trust that? Weren't they all just as good at acting as she was?

"Maybe I'm wrong," she whispered to herself. "Maybe – "

"Hey, look at _her_!"

Bobby's voice cut off her thoughts in midstream. Surprised, she glanced up to see her friends clustered a short distance ahead of her. Each of them were focused on something that Usagi couldn't see from where she was. Curious, she hurried up to them, straining to see what they were staring at. But she was too short, and again she cursed her child-like body before she spotted the tree right next to them. It looked like it was strong enough...

Smiling wickedly, the blonde scaled the trunk with surprising ease. She edged her way out onto a branch and lifted up the foliage. Her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of the picturesque wooden cabin, complete with wrap-around porch. A lake washed up onto the shore near the cabin, which had been placed to catch all the breezes coming off of the water – whether it was the same freezing lake as the one by the camp, Usagi wasn't sure, but if it was, she bet it was a lot warmer by now!

On the porch was a set of cute little chairs and a table, with a deep green umbrella shading them. Seated beneath the umbrella, gazing out over the lake, was a beautiful woman. Her hair was a pale turquoise color, bordering on aqua green, and fell to just below her shoulders. Her eyes were a lovely shade of deep blue, like the darkest part of the ocean. She was wearing a sleek one-piece royal blue bathing suit that showed off her curves, and in one hand she clutched a tall, frosted glass of bright pink lemonade.

Usagi dug her nails into the branch below her, shivering all over. Her breath came in small gasps she stared at the woman, who for all appearences, was oblivious to her audience. There was no doubt in her mind... it had to be... it was unmistakable. Unless there was a twin she didn't know about, Kaioh Michiru was sitting in front of her.

The door of the cabin swung open then, and a tall, slender woman emerged. Her sandy blonde hair was worn short and tousled, just brushing the teasing, forest green eyes. She was wearing a loose, white button-up shirt and a piar of casual green trousers. It was impossible to tell from appearance alone that this was a girl. Usagi, who was having a mild panic attack, had no doubt about the sex of Tenoh Haruka.

"Oh, wow," Minako breathed, looking like she had just seen a living dream walk out the door. "He's gorgeous. I wonder if that's his girlfriend?"

"Humph," Kurt muttered, scowling as Usagi nearly fell off of her branch. "He's... not _that_ good-looking..."

Sighing to herself and shaking her head at the antics of her best friend – that clearly, would never change, Usagi looked back at Michiru. The woman was sipping from her lemonade, holding onto the delicate, miniature yellow umbrella with one hand so that it didn't poke her. Removing the glass from her lips, a smile broke out across her face as she lowered her head and spoke softly to Haruka. The blonde's head snapped around to their hiding place.

"Eeeeek," Usagi whispered to herself anxiously, wincing at the look on Haruka's face. She started to back up quickly, hoping to reach the ground before murder occurred. But when Usagi had first clambered onto her branch, she had misjudged its strength. All of her movement had weakened the wood substantially, and when she tried to move so suddenly, the branch gave way.

Letting out a shriek that could have shattered glass, Usagi plummeted out of the tree like a bird without wings. She hit the ground in an ungraceful heap with a loud thud and a louder wail, then yelped again when the branch landed on top of her.

"Usagi!" she heard a voice cry behind her, but it was muffled by the ringing in her ears. She shook her head in a daze, realizing that there was a shadow over her. Panting, she looked up slowly and squinted against the sun. Both Haruka and Michiru were standing right in front of her, looking concerned but also amused.

"Are you alright?" Michiru asked calmly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. The grace of her movement caused Usagi's face to pink with embarrassment. Why was she always making such a klutz of herself around her friends?

"I'm okay," she whispered, shoving the branch off of her. She pushed herself to her feet and staggered a little, dizzy. Haruka grabbed her shoulder and steadied her before she could fall over.

"Sure you are," the older woman commented with a smirk. "The rest of you can come out," she added, glancing at the bushes. "Is that all of you?" she asked as the sheepish group slowly emerged.

Michiru smiled, an action that had a devestating result on the males. "Why don't you all come into the cabin for some lemonade?" she suggested.

"That would be great," Jean said for everyone, slamming her elbow in Scott's stomach. He jumped and looked around at her, startled. She glowered at him in response, to which he smiled a touch shamefacedly.

"May I use your bathroom?" Usagi asked as soon as she was within the cabin. Haruka nodded and gave directions. Hobbling off as fast as she could, the blonde fairly slammed the door behind her before she broke down into tears.

She was _furious_ with herself for acting so silly in front of the two outer senshi. Haruka and Michiru had always been two people that Usagi looked up to, even if she didn't agree with some of their ideals. The two of them were so sophisticated and mature. Around them, Usagi felt like a little kid. She was terrified of doing something so immature that the two of them would turn away from her, especially now, but it was so easy to forget herself around them.

"No sacrifices," she mocked to her reflection, a sorry sight of a young girl with tear streaks on her face, and turned the cool water on to scrub her cheeks angrily. Her right cheek twinged with pain when she rubbed too hard and she winced, having bruised it when she struck the ground.

That wasn't the only thing, either, much to her dismay. Her left hip was on fire, and when she lifted up her shirt and tugged down her shorts a little, in the mirror she could see an enormous black bruise already spreading down her thigh and up her side. Her entire left side was aching, at that, and her wrist felt tender and looked a little swollen from where she had instinctively flung her arms out to protect her head. She also had a headache.

"Great, just great," she hissed, touching her hip gingerly. Pain screamed down her spine, and she pulled her hand away quickly. "I do more damage falling out of a tree than I've ever done fighting. Good job, Tsukino, some princess _you're_ going to be..."

"Talking to yourself?" a smooth voice interrupted her. Usagi cried out in shock and turned, knocking the container of liquid soap off of its stand. She tried in vain to catch it, but it landed on the floor, cracking the plastic and sending soap everywhere.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!" Usagi blurted out, but then, hearing laughter, felt her cheeks grow hot once more. "It's not _funny_!"

Haruka's laughter stopped, but she continued to smile. "Actually, I came to see if you were alright," she said, stepping into the small room. She reached out and caught the edge of Usagi's shirt, pulling it up enough to see the top of the rapidly spreading bruise. "From the look of it, you hit harder than I thought," she observed.

"I... I'm okay," Usagi repeated, blushing even more.

"Really?" the blonde responded, raising her eyebrows. She brushed her fingers against Usagi's side, prompting a pained cry from the younger girl. "Yeah, that sounds okay," she scoffed.

"I will be," said the girl with a strange amount of certainty. She wiggled her hand, recalling her mutant power to herself, and wondering why she hadn't thought of it sooner. "Really."

Although she didn't look entirely convinced, Haruka finally nodded and left the room. Tempted to use her power then and there, Usagi decided to wait until she was at the Institute. For some reason, she didn't want to reveal her mutant powers to Haruka and Michiru so quickly. She trusted them with all of her heart, but she was reluctant nevertheless.

She glanced in the mirror one last time, then made to exit the room. She stepped on the forgotten container of soap and slipped, slamming her hip against the counter as she lost her balance. Gasping for breath at the onslaught of pain, she dug her nails into her wrists until it stung and clenched her teeth, struggling to wait it out. It felt like ages went by before it had died away enough for her to walk out of the room, and even then she was still grimacing and wincing with every step.

"Are you ok?" Minako asked, studying her pained expression.

"I'm.. fine," Usagi got out, falling into the chair with a silent moan of relief. It was a struggle to find a comfortable position, but finally she found that if she slumped a little, it didn't hurt too much.

"Michiru was just telling us that she and Haruka rent this cabin each summer," Makoto told her, leaning forward to reach a napkin. Her new position gave anyone at the table who was looking a peek down her top, and from the way she winked at the crimson Bobby, Makoto knew it.

"Yes, we do," Michiru said as Usagi rolled her eyes. "Our time here will be complete in the next few days; we are finishing early this year. Haruka and I will be returning to our apartment in New York. It will be good to be home again, although we both enjoy our time here."

"You live in New York?" Kitty asked, her eyes growing bright. "This is so, like, cool! I've always wanted to move there! What's it like?"

As the girls dissolved into an eager conversation about fashion, Usagi tilted her head back and sighed to herself. She enjoyed listening to Michiru's calm, gentle voice, but wished that the woman would pull out her violin. Before their memories were locked away, Usagi had oftened attended the concerts. It was difficult for the blonde to sit through the long performances sometimes, but Usagi _loved_ her friend's music. But she knew it would look odd if she asked, so she remained silent.

Her thoughts drifted back to what she had been thinking about before. Quite often, Michiru and Haruka had been the two senshi that exasperated her the most. She had tried to understand their position, but she just couldn't seem to grasp their vision. Part of her knew that since the two of them were trying to protect the planet, it would be alright, but another part of her was terrified that the two of them would get themselves killed trying to do it.

It confused her sometimes, how she could want to be more like Michiru and Haruka and want to scream at them at the same time. During the time leading up to Mistress 9, she had wanted to flat out strangle them both. Not just for the sake of Hotaru, but to knock the sense into them that, in her opinion, they were missing.

"We had best get going," Scott spoke suddenly, rising from the table. "It's getting late, guys."

Usagi looked up at him, her eyes slightly wide. She, like the others at the table, hadn't noticed how late it was getting. They would have to hurry to get back in time to swim before their breakfast arrived. Leave? She didn't _want_ to leave. How could she walk away from the senshi of the wind and the water?

"We're with Professor Xavier," Minako concluded, having given a quick explanation as to why the group was in the forest in the first place. Haruka and Michiru, who had been laughing, both started.

"Did you say Professor Xavier?" Haruka asked.

Minako nodded. "This is supposed to be some silly retreat," she said.

Reluctantly, Usagi got to her feet and followed her friends out the door. The throbbing of her side was nothing compared to the pain in her heart as her head swung around to watch the two women behind them. She nearly fell down the stairs due to her lack of watching, and was saved only when Chibi-Usa and Hotaru caught her hands.

"Thank you for the lemonade," Rei said politely. "We appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Michiru smiled.

"Good-bye," Haruka added, casually draping an arm around Michiru.

She couldn't do it. Her hands were shaking in the grip of the children, and she could feel herself moving slowly. Words rose in her throat, and she shuddered with her breath, making a deal with her soul. She would walk away, but she needed to make sure of one thing first.

"No sacrifices," Usagi said without warning, turning around so quickly that Chibi-Usa stumbled. She looked at Haruka and Michiru, her silvery-flecked eyes damp with tears. "Promise me."

"Onee-chan!" Chibi-Usa tugged at her hand, a little embarrassed at her sibling's sudden actions. Usagi ignored, staring at her two senshi.

After a few seconds of silence, both women nodded. This, she could handle, and after tilting her head to them, Usagi turned on her heel and walked up the path with only a slight limp. Chibi-Usa stared at her sister in confusion, while Hotaru swung around slightly and waved cheerfully.

"There's something special about that girl," Haruka commented in a low voice as a cool wind brushed by, gently tugging at her already messy curls.

Michiru shut her eyes, breathing in the scent of the sea. There was no need to ask which one her partner met – even without the odd words, the entire time the group had been present, she had been inexplicably drawn to the cute blonde with the bright eyes.

"I know," she whispered in response, and felt one door close as another opened.

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And now we have, Uranus and Neptune. Please leave a review!


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key and Syra, Sailor Time.

**Author's Note:** I was asked about Luna and Artemis... in the original version of this story, their location was never disclosed, mostly because I had forgotten to figure it out myself. I changed this in this chapter; Luna, Artemis and Diana are all mentioned and their whereabouts confirmed. There is also the introduction of a very minor OC; she is present for one short scene and won't be mentioned again, for those who might be worried about her appearence. She is only there to explain what happens to the Time Gates. This chapter has been slightly edited to replace an error pointed out by a reviewer.

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Usagi shivered as the pale pink light slipped down her stomach, encompassing her stomach in a sheath of coolness. She could feel the swelling and heat from the bruise on her tummy shrinking beneath the force of the light, slowly vanishing to leave unblemished skin behind. The light sank back into her skin, leaving her a shade or two paler in that area, and with a lingering ache.

Pulling herself into a seated position, she shadowed her eyes against the glare from the rising sun and looked around for her friends. She spotted Minako flirting shamelessly with Kurt, giving the boy peeks down her bikini top whenever possible. Chibi-Usa and Hotaru were building a sandcastle near the waves. The others were deeply involved in a water fight, the boys against the girls. Usagi giggled to herself when Jean used her powers to dump a sheet of water on top of the boys, eliciting many startled exclamations and protests.

Releasing her golden hair from her buns, Usagi picked up a brush and started to gently pull it through her long hair. It normally took her at least an hour to make sure all of the tangles were gone from her curls, which was why she was so fond of her hairstyle. It meant she didn't have to worry about brushing her hair every night, which was a big save of time.

Time... a thought striking the blonde, she stopped her brushing and stared off into space for a few seconds, not even hearing Kitty's scream when Kurt teleported her above the lake and released her. Absentmindedly, Usagi pulled on the fine chain upon which hung the Twilight Key and tapped it against her lips as she thought, her mind working busily.

"So much," she sighed to herself, kissing the glittering key, and let the necklace drop back into place around her throat. The key disappeared into the space between her breasts, where she could always keep watch over it. The blonde adjusted her vibrant pink bikini to fully cover up the key and continued with her brushing.

Inadvertently, her thoughts wandered back to Logan and wondering if she were really interested in a relationship. He was _very_ handsome, granted, with a kind of inner pain that drew her to him. She sensed that underneath his gruff exterior lay a heart of kindness that had been wounded too many times to count, but how could she coax that kindness out of him?

Did she even want to, Usagi thought, sighing. She hadn't revealed it at the time, but Mamoru's feelings had left a mark on her. Although she couldn't blame the man for wanting to be with the one he truly loved, it still hurt that she hadn't been the one that he had wanted. She had even been furious for days after that he had waited until Seiya left to tell her, because it had left her wondering if Seiya had been the one she was meant to be with.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life always wondering," Usagi whispered to herself, setting the brush down beside her. She closed her eyes for a minute, a sad smile on her face, and wished that Seiya was around to give her a hug. Part of her knew that a relationship with the starlight probably wouldn't have worked out, but she still loved the starlights like she loved her own senshi.

Usagi suddenly realized that a shadow had fallen over her. Turning, she looked behind her to see Logan standing there, looking out at the teenagers horsing around in the water. She looked at him curiously, twisting her hair into a braid for the moment.

"Some training," Logan muttered, shaking his head, but there was the slightest hint to a smile on his face.

"It's the newest kind," retorted Usagi, turning away from him a little. She stuck her nose into the air, tilted her head slightly so she could see him out of the corner of her eye, and added, "It's called _fun_."

He smirked. "There's a delivery from a hotel waiting to be signed and paid for. It's a pretty _big_ order... I figured I ought to come see you first."

Usagi's mouth dropped open as his comment sank in. "Are you trying to insinuate something?" she practically shrieked. "Are you saying that I am _fat_?"

"You said it, not me," he responded, still smirking.

Leaping to her feet, Usagi growled under her breath. "_Tell me_ I'm fat!" she snapped furiously, stretching her hands in the air and posing like a model.

Logan glanced at her, suddenly regretting the game he had begun. The bikini Usagi was wearing covered only part of her breasts and womanhood, nothing more. Her long legs, slender arms, and slight waist were on display, not to mention a generous amount of creamy cleavage. As she revolved on one foot, the backs of her thighs, soft shoulders, and the curves of her bottom were visible.

"_Well_?" the girl demanded in a frosty tone.

"No comment," he managed, still able to smirk at her steamed expression.

Usagi narrowed her eyes in annoyance – two could play at this game. "By the way, Logan," she purred, dropping her voice in a sexy whisper. "How old are you?"

"I don't know," he muttered, some of his excitement fleeing at the reminder. "Why?"

An innocent smile on her face, Usagi made a mental note about his sudden reservation before she spoke. "My father usually likes to know the age of the men I date," she said in a sing-song voice, strolling past him. She added an extra wiggle to her hips, confident that he was watching. "But I'm sure in this case, he'd make an exception," she added in a breathy murmur, sauntering up the path.

She was still smirking from their encounter as the group dug into the delicious food from the hotel, still piping hot and cool respectively. Usagi ate sparingly, still inwardly stinging from Logan's comment, and resolved to force Minako to do an inspection that very night.

"I guess we should go see Professor Xavier now," Usagi said to Makoto and Ami, setting down her fork. Her two friends nodded and rose to follow her to the professor's cabin.

"Come in," Xavier spoke before she could knock, having expected their visit.

Usagi took a deep breath and pasted on her cutest smile before she pushed open the door. She entered first, Makoto and Ami on her heels. "Hello Professor," she said, waving to him. "This is Ami Mizuno and Makoto Kino. They're mutants, and they want to come home with us."

Xavier's mouth twitched into a smile. "Is that so?" he said. "What are your powers?"

"I can get struck by lightening without any harm," Makoto began. "I can also create it within myself, or call it to me from outside. There doesn't have to be a storm overhead – I think I can call it from a pretty good distance." She thought for a moment. "I can make it do pretty much whatever I want, including sculpting it into things like flowers. I don't know how long it will stay that way, though."

"I can withstand freezing temperatures at no cost to myself," Ami said softly once her friend was done. "I am never cold. I can manipulate ice that is created by nature, or I can use the ice that I can fabricate within my body. My own ice is more susceptible to being used. I can freeze water, but I can also suck the cold out of water and make it hot. I've never tried it with anything but water."

"I see," Xavier murmured, folding his hands together as he thought. "Well, there is most certainly a place for you two at my Institute if you do wish to come. I will outline this more fully to you at a later time."

"Great," Usagi said brightly. "So, you don't need me here anymore." She began retreating towards the door.

"Usagi," said Xavier, and there was laughter in his eyes. "If in the future you feel the need to kidnap my students, please give some warning."

"Yes sir," the blonde said with a sheepish smile, clasping her hands behind her.

"Additionally, we will be leaving here in a few days' time," Xavier told her, picking up a pen from his desk. "Sergeant Slater has been... less efficient than we had hoped for, so we will be returning to the Institute. Until then, you children are free from any further training. Consider this a miniature vacation, if you will."

Usagi's eyes lit up, and she wondered if she could convince the professor to relocate the group to the hotel for the next couple of days. She was just about to try when the door of the room flew open with such force that it bounced off of the wall, leaving a dark mark. Startled, Usagi turned and stared along with the others.

"WHERE IS MY CAR?" Sergeant Slater barged into the room, eyes flashing and fists clenched. She glowered at Usagi, who appeared genuinely shocked at the amount of rage pouring off of the woman. "I know you did something to it, you disgusting little moon-brat! WHERE IS IT?"

"Samantha, I'm sure Usagi had nothing to do with your car's disappearance," Xavier said firmly. "If your automobile is missing, please telephone the police."

Slater glowered at Usagi, who had gone white, but seemed to realize that she could pin nothing on the blonde. Spinning on her heel, the woman flounced out the door, almost running into Ororo and Logan in the process. Both of the teachers watched her leave, Ororo shaking her head and Logan wondering when the woman had gone off the deep end.

"Usagi, are you alright? You look kind of pale," Makoto said, watching her friend with a concerned expression.

"Nothing," Usagi said slowly, her crystal eyes filled with a strange panic. "I have to go. I just remembered something I need to do... now. I'll meet up with you guys later."

Before Ami or Makoto could respond, the blonde took off out of the room. She sprinted down the path and made a beeline for Slater's cabin, running as fast as her sandals would allow. When the flimsy slip-ons slowed her down too much, she kicked them off and increased her pace until she was a blur.

"Slater!" she yelled, flinging herself at the cabin and slamming her fist on the door. "SLATER. Come out here!"

She banged for a good five minutes, but there was no response. Usagi hurried around to the side of the house and tried to look in the window. The glass was crusted with dirt on the inside and out, and although she tried to wipe it off, all she succeeded in doing was smearing it and making it worse. Squinting into the shadowy interior, she was forced to admit that she wouldn't have been able to tell a lampshade from a person.

Scowling, she retreated from the cabin reluctantly. She eyed it suspiciously over her shoulder as she walked back down the path, wondering where Slater had ended up at. For all she knew, the woman had left the camp for good, although that didn't seem very probably. More than likely, the woman was off sulking somewhere.

"Wuss," Usagi muttered, walking out onto the floating dock attached to the beach. She sat down on the edge of it and closed her eyes, enjoying the late sun. Their swim had taken a lot longer than she had realized, or maybe they had been in Professor Xavier's office longer than she had thought. The sun was on its way down.

A thought occurred to her when the sun glittered off of the chain around her neck. She glanced around from side to side, making sure that no one was spying on her, then pulled on the chain. Wrapping the Twilight Key in her hands, she folded them together and pressed them to her lips, then to her forehead. She breathed out a fog of silvery mist, and spoke in a soft voice.

"Twilight Key, please, I wish to speak to Sailor Time," she whispered.

Through the creases between her fingers, a bright light began to glow. Usagi kept her hands clasped around the key and shut her eyes as the light started to glow, turning into a thin line that raced up into the sky. Almost as quickly as it reached the clouds, it began to dissipate. Sensing she was no longer alone, Usagi opened her eyes.

Floating in front of her was a pretty young girl of fourteen with golden skin, wearing a fuku of black and dark gray with magenta highlights. Her eyes were a warm and playful shade of cherry. Her hair, a silky shade of soft white, was fastened into a high bun, with two strands left free to frame her face. In her hands, she held a small staff with a ruby, heart-shaped jewel at the end of it. Around her body was a faint violet outline, and she was slightly see-through, indicating that she was a mere hologram.

"You called, Princess Serenity?" Princess Syra of Pluto, Sailor Time and Setsuna's younger sibling, questioned. Her voice was low and soft.

"How are the Time Gates doing without Setsuna around?" Usagi asked, frowning a little. She had wanted to take over the care of the Gates after Setsuna lost her memory, but the duty had ended up going to Syra. The Gates would not respond to someone who was not of the Pluto royal line.

"We are doing well," Syra responded. "Luna, Artemis and Diana watch faithfully over the Gates. There have been no incidents for which my presence has been required."

Usagi sighed a little. That was the other part of it. Syra had been re-born on Earth with the rest of them, and she couldn't leave her family for months at a time. Luna, Artemis and Diana had volunteered to watch over the Gates and summon Syra should a senshi be needed. The arrangement made sense – the cats had little else to do at the moment and Syra was the only other person who could respond to the Gates.

It didn't mean Usagi had to like it, though.

"Oh... That's good," she said distantly, playing with the Twilight Key.

"Is there something else that troubles you, my lady?" Syra asked hesitantly. She and Usagi had never been particularly close due to their previous age difference, but it still pained her to see the princess so obviously upset.

"I miss my other senshi," Usagi said plaintively, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Syra sighed. "You have chosen the correct path, my lady," she said gently. "Have faith. Someday, we shall dance together in the light of freedom once more. Until that far away day, you must take comfort from the knowledge that you can still dream of that day. I have hope, my lady, and so shall you. Do not give up; we are senshi."

The blonde looked up, and there was a strange look on her face. As odd as it seemed, she had almost forgotten what it was like to be a senshi. Her hope had slowly died as the days went by, more than it ever had when she was fighting. It occurred to her how silly she had been acting. She did have her friends, even if they weren't all there. It was more than she could have; they could be no longer with her.

"Thank you, Syra," Usagi said slowly, thinking this over.

"You are most welcome, my lady. Adieu." The girl curtsied, lifting her small skirt in a perfect rendition, and vanished.

Looking out over the lake, Usagi stood up. The fight wasn't over, then, now was it? She could still go on, and someday... well, she could cross the bridge to someday when it popped up in front of her. Right now, she could build new memories with her friends while cherishing the old ones. Not comparing them, but being happy that those memories could still be created with happiness and joy.

_We are senshi_.

Usagi smiled.

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A senshi remembers next chapter! Leave lots of reviews to guess who it is! Ciao!


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attack.

**Author's Note:** I won't bore you with why this took so long – suffice to say, university is time consuming, I hate student loan, and life is stressful. In better news, none of you guessed who was going to be awoken, sadly. Tsk tsk! Some of you were very close, however. A couple of you suggested Hotaru, and Rei, Makoto, Minako, and Setsuna each got a vote as well. The closest people were the ones who suggested Hotaru and Minako. To find out just who it is, read the chapter. Remember, reviews help me post faster!

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Crimson eyes opened ever so slightly, Tsukino Chibi-Usa watched as her older sister slipped out of her bed, shed her nightgown, and dressed in a jean skirt and a tank top. As the older girl quietly left the cabin, Chibi-Usa sat up and pushed her covers away from her body. She climbed down the ladder and squinted at Kitty's clock – 8:30 in the morning – before reaching for her favorite sundress. Something told her that her sister was up to something, and she wanted to find out what it as.

Jamming her feet in sneakers, the child tip-toed towards the door. She just barely muffled her cry when she stumbled over her discarded nightgown and scowled to herself – she was becoming too much like Usagi for her liking. Tossing the nightdress onto her bunk, she gently shut the door behind her and took off towards the path leading through the woods. She could just barely see the occasional flash of gold ahead of her to let her know she was headed in the right direction.

Chibi-Usa very nearly ended up revealing her presence to her sister. She hadn't been expecting Usagi to stop so suddenly and almost ran into the older girl when she turned the corner. Luckily, Usagi seemed to be focused on whatever she was holding in her hand, and Chibi-Usa was able to duck behind a conveniently located bush.

The ground beneath Chibi-Usa's feet began to tremble a little as she spied on her elder sibling, several small stones and pebbles bouncing a few inches into the air before smacking into the dirt. She frowned a little at the sensation, torn between annoyance and concern. A low growl rose in the air, low at the first but quickly rising until it became a high-pitched shriek that made her bones ache. Holding onto the rock as the shaking became worse, she looked around for her sister.

Usagi was staring at the edge of woods, about ten feet away from her. A dark shape was slinking out of the forest, its features masked in darkness. The growling sound was coming from it. The creature moved towards the blonde, who backed away from it quickly, her eyes widened in fear. Her hands were up before her in a defensive position, as if she could prevent an attack with those alone.

"What do you want?" Usagi screamed. "Go away!"

The creature's high-pitched shriek died away, replaced with rough laughter. Raising one shadowed arm, it slashed downwards. A jet of black lightening exploded out of the air and raced towards Usagi, who cried out and back flipped out of the way. She had barely landed when another bolt came at her, forcing her to dodge again.

"Mother help me," Usagi gasped under her breath. Her feet were inches from the ground when the sixth bolt slammed into her. She fell forward with a scream, landing roughly on the edge of the lake, and dropped the object in her hand. Unnoticed by her, it was spun towards Chibi-Usa by the force of the collision.

Chibi-Usa looked down as the object hit her sneaker. It was a locket, the same one that she had seen Usagi carrying around before. She had meant to ask her sister where it had come from before, but somehow, she always seemed to forget. It seemed to mean a great deal to Usagi, because the blonde never went anywhere without it. Never more than an arms reach away, it could always be found in a pocket, purse or a backpack.

This was the first time she had seen it up close, and she looked at it curiously. The locket itself was heart-shaped with a gold crown on top, a pretty shade of dark, reddish pink in color, with gold lining, a gold crescent moon, and five colored jewels on it. She leaned down and picked it up, wiping the smudges of dirt off of it. Part of her was demanding to know why she was staring at a locket when her sister was being attacked, but she felt mesmerized by it.

The jewels on the locket began to sparkle with light. The top opened slowly, revealing a white surface with multi-colored ribbons sculpted on it. A large, faceted pink crystal caught the light, reflecting it into Chibi-Usa's eyes. She tried to pull her crimson gaze away, panicking when she found that she couldn't. Her eyes were locked onto the crystal as a thin stream of silvery light appeared around the edges, traveling into the middle. A beam of light exploded out of the crystal and struck the child in the middle of her forehead. Her eyes fell shut and she held her breath.

_She was running. Really fast, so quickly that when she rounded a corner, she almost tripped and fell. Catching herself just in time, she sprinted towards the door, a stitch in her side. She approached in time to hear voices, speaking intently about traps and being careful. Curiosity burned inside of her, pressing her forward when her side throbbed, until she fell against the door and peered through eagerly._

"_What are they doing?" she whispered between pants, shoving her face against the thin material, as if that would help her understand._

"Mars Star Power_..."_

"Venus Star Power_..."_

_A gasp dropped from her mouth as two of the five girls put their hands in the air. Two pens appeared out of nowhere and flipped into the girl's hands. One pen had a bright red base and a gold star with the symbol for Mars on it – that went to the raven-haired girl. The other pen, which went to the blonde with the red ribbon, was orange along with a gold star and the symbol of Venus._

"Jupiter Star Power_..."_

"Mercury Star Power_..."_

_She shoved her fist into her mouth to keep from yelling as the brunette caught the dark green pen, the golden star of this one bearing the sign of Jupiter. The smaller, blue-haired girl held a pale blue pen with the sign of Mercury on the gold star. Power began to build in the air, cackling through her veins. She shivered._

"Make-UP_!"_ _Four voices shouted in unison. Her teeth sank into her fist in wonder as red fire, star-shaped beams of orange light, green lightening, and pale blue water surrounded the four girls. The four elements pulsed at once and then vanished, having been there for no longer than the time it took to blink, revealing four fuku-clad warriors._

"_Sailor Mercury!"_

"_Sailor Mars!"_

"_Sailor Jupiter!"_

"_Sailor Venus!"_

_The last girl in the courtyard raised a locket in the air. She held her right hand near it, as if shielding it from the view of a passerby. "Moon Crystal Power, Make-UP!" she yelled. A soothing pink light cascaded out of the flashing crystal, covering the girl's body. The light turned into a flood of white feathers that vanished, leaving the girl clad in a red and blue fuku._

"_Sailor Moon," she whimpered, dropping her hand from her mouth. Tears stung her eyes. She knew she had been looking for this warrior for a very long time._

"_Ready?" Without waiting for a response, the leader turned and sprinted away, her heels clicking on the pavement. The other four warriors, as well as two felines, took off after her, following her rapid pace with ease. _

_Pushing the door open with hands that trembled, she looked at the spot where they had been in stunned awe. This was momentous. This was insane. This was incredible. She just couldn't believe it... but... "They're the sailor senshi..."_

Chibi-Usa's eyes snapped opened and she gasped for breath. The light from the crystal faded away, leaving a glowing crescent moon on the child's forehead. Memories swept over her, flooding through her mind. The Dark Moon – Hotaru – Nehelania – leaving for the last time... dizziness gripped her and she touched her head with a shaking hand. There was so much to remember: so much had been forgotten.

A thought struck her, and her head snapped up. She looked quickly in the direction of the creature, just in time to see what she now knew was a youma fire a bolt of multi-colored lightening at Usagi. The blonde screamed, her arms flying up in front of her body in a protective stance. At the very last second, a nearly invisible shield appeared in front of her. The bolt hit the shield with enough force to send the blonde careening backwards into the center of the lake.

"_Mommy_!" Chibi-Usa shrieked. "_NO_!" Time seemed to stop as her scream echoed throughout the woods, pulsating across the land. Her hands began to itch and burn as the locket fell to the ground, forgotten. Familiar power tingled through her body, finding release through her hands in the form of a fine pink mist that flashed through the air towards the youma.

The creature growled low in its throat, enraged at such a weak display. It lifted one paw, prepared to bat the mist away, and literally froze in place as soon as the mist touched it. A roar of displeasure was released as the mist encased the youma, sticking to its skin. The roar was cut off as the mist reached its mouth, slipping into the body of the creature. A guttural sound escaped it.

Realizing that she was shivering, Chibi-Usa wrapped her arms around herself. A single tear rolled down her cheek when she looked at the lake. Unnoticed, the tear landed soundlessly on the cosmic heart locket. The locket began to glow once more, and within the depths of the glow, her compact appeared. She reached out a trembling hand and took her locket into her hand.

"You hurt my mommy," she said at the youma, her voice quivering. "You... stupid... I'll make you pay for that! _Chibi Prism Power, Make-UP_!"

As the pale pink light flooded the clearing, the waters of the lake parted. The unconscious form of Tsukino Usagi emerged from the depths, surrounded in a translucent, turquoise orb. When the body of the girl cleared the water, the orb gained threads of gold as it drifted across the water and gently deposited the girl upon the ground. The orb vanished as Usagi began to cough up liquid.

Sailor Chibi Moon glowered at the youma, feeling her power grow as her anger rose. Her crimson eyes snapped with fury. The tiara on her forehead disappeared, leaving behind the crescent moon mark that was her legacy. The mark began to sparkle pink with energy. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then reached out her gloved hand. Her pink moon stick appeared, as it had been before it became the crystal clarion. As her fingers closed around it, a shiver seemed to run up the rod and it changed. The crystal became white, the base a darker pink, and the gold trim turned silver.

"_Twilight Moon Candy Kiss_!" she yelled, holding the rod up in the air. The crystal shone, throwing off a vibrant, deep pink light laced with white sparkles that went through the youma as if it didn't exist. The creature screamed once and collapsed into dust.

Arms falling to her side, Sailor Chibi Moon turned towards the lake. Her eyes locked onto Usagi, who was kneeling on the sand and staring at her as if she'd seen a ghost. The girl's face was ashen, her blue eyes wide. Her clothing was totally soaked, her hair falling around her shoulders in wet clumps.

"Mama?" Chibi Moon said, taking an uncertain step towards the girl. The word dropped out of her mouth easily, forming on her lips without trouble. She realized now why it had seemed so strange to call Usagi 'sister'. Although their relationship seemed like that of siblings on the outside, it was really anything but.

"Chibi-Usa," Usagi whispered, one hand fluttering through the hand. Her eyes filled with tears that quickly brimmed over. "My... my baby... You look... so beautiful..."

Chibi Moon could feel her chin quivering, but she tried to restrain her tears as she walked across the sandy ground towards her mother. A few steps away, she paused and curtsied, her gloved fingers picking up her short pink skirt in a perfect rendition of the ageless tradition. The movements, so familiar to the ones she had performed not that long ago to a queen, caused her eyes to shimmer with tears when she glanced up.

"Mama," she cried, and fell forward, flinging slender arms around her mother's neck as she burrowed into the soft, comforting warmth. Usagi embraced her daughter tightly, weeping with relief. It had been too long since she had heard that glorious word.

Across the lake, where they had remained as mostly silent spectators during the fight, Tenoh Haruka folded her arms loosely as the two girls cried. "The little one did very good," she said softly, her voice kept low in an effort to keep the breeze from picking it up.

"She did," Kaioh Michiru agreed with a faint smile. Her oceanic eyes were troubled as she breathed in the familiar scent of the water. "A storm is coming, Ruka," she murmured, looking into the lake. Her eyes were reflected off of the surface, and for an instant, she saw a mirror staring back at her.

"I think it's already here," Haruka, who saw visions of swords dancing in the wind, whispered. The breeze tugged at her sandy locks in agreement. After a moment of further silence, the blond stuffed her hands into her pockets and turned to walk back up the path.

Michiru hesitated but a moment, tempted to toss a pebble into the lake to distort the strange image. She looked down at the ground, picked up a small rock, and stood poised to toss it into the water. At the last second, she hesitated, rocking back and forth. Mirrors reflected the present back onto their viewers – sometimes pleasant, and sometimes not. The future wasn't what she needed, or would need; it was to see the present with a clear, unbiased eye.

_Please understand, there won't be a future, Michiru-san, unless we can agree on the present._

After a second, she tucked the rock into her pocket instead and turned to follow Haruka. The words in her head weren't familiar, but she somehow sensed that they were important. She would think about them later, when her head didn't ache from blocked visions, and share them with her partner. For now, a dangerous car ride along the damp cliffs awaited them.

Across the lake, Sailor Chibi Moon watched her aunts leave over her mother's shoulder and smiled.

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Anyone who is disappointed that it was Chibi-Usa who gained her memories, please remember that I love Chibi-Usa... a lot. Even though she was born from a couple that I dislike, she's a part of Usagi and I can't ignore that. Not only that, but she has her own beauty if you take the time to get to know her. If you're still disappointed, I can only leave you with the assurance that another senshi will remember next chapter. Please leave a review on your way out!


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attack.

**Author's Note:** Chibi-Usa's memories were better received than I expected. I'm glad everyone thought my decision to make Chibi-Usa remember first was a good one. I'm doing my best to make this seem like part of the anime or manga, which is why the senshi are remembering in the order that they are. Please do note, they're remembering far more quickly in this version than they did in the original! This was a last minute change prompted by Chibi-Usa herself. Enjoy!

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Burrowing her head in her pillow to muffle the sound, Usagi trembled with the force of her gasping sobs. The memory had crept up on her without warning, sneaking into her dreams and attacking her at her most vulnerable. She had been trapped in a horrific dream for hours, re-living each agonizing second of the deaths of Haruka and Michiru during the battle with Galaxia. Only when the two senshi had finally faded away had she awoken, her whole body quivering, tears streaming down her face.

It was a miracle that she hadn't woken Chibi-Usa, who was curled up beside her. They had spoken for hours the night before, until the child was fairly falling asleep while she spoke. It had given Usagi unspeakable joy to look into the eyes of her daughter and see her smiling back. Hearing Chibi-Usa call her that sweet name had made her want to explode with happiness.

Struggling to remain silent, the blonde stuffed a fist into her mouth and tried to breathe deeply and quietly. She shuddered as she rubbed her cheek against the soaked fabric of her pillowcase. Galaxia's battle was a nightmare she would never forget, and the grief still lingered with her. Most of the time, she could ignore it, but sometimes, it snuck up on her without warning.

She could guess why, now that she thought about it, it had appeared to her in the form of a dream. The youma the night before had chilled her very soul. She hadn't fought alone in _years_ and as such, she had been totally unprepared for the appearance of a youma. What would she have done if it had attacked her friends? Obviously, she couldn't let Chibi-Usa fight alone. And yet...

'_I don't want to be a senshi_,' Usagi cried silently, tasting blood as her teeth sank into her flesh. Beside her, Chibi-Usa stirred and snuggled closer. '_I want to be normal. Mother, tell me what to do. I'm so confused_.'

As if in answer to her prayers, the door swung open, allowing bright light to spill into the room. Usagi winced, shielding her face in Chibi-Usa's cotton candy hair, as the blurred silhouette of a woman appeared in the doorway. "Okay, everyone, up. The professor wants us in the parking lot no later than nine thirty, so if you don't want to be starving on the way back, I suggest you get up!"

Ororo turned on her heel and marched away to awaken the other students as several of the girls moaned in unison. Usagi made a face and quickly swiped the tear tracks from her cheeks the best she could as Chibi-Usa stretched and sat up, looking around tiredly. '_Mother, I didn't mean you to be so _literal,' she thought in annoyance, rolling her eyes.

"Ooooh, who let the sun come so early?" Minako mumbled above them, pulling her covers over her head. "The moon needs to put her foot down and stay out longer..."

Chibi-Usa covered her mouth and giggled. Usagi shook her head and swung her feet off of the bed, standing up quickly. She wanted to get to the shower before anyone spotted the remainder of the tell-tale tear tracks on her cheeks. "Shower is mine first!" she yelled, running into the bathroom before anyone could respond.

Minako rubbed her eyes, listening with a half-smile to the various complaints. There was more than one shower, of course, but the hot water ran out very quickly. The perky blonde was well aware of why Usagi had hurried into the showers, and it wasn't fear of a cold shower. She had awakened earlier to the quiet sounds of Usagi's muffled sobbing, but had merely lain in bed above the girl, helplessly unsure of how to comfort her friend.

Sighing, the girl stretched her feet and poked her nose against her blanket. Usagi was still a mystery to her, however much they were friends. Last night, both Usagi and Chibi-Usa had both looked happier than Minako could ever recall seeing them. The two of them had perched on Usagi's bed and spoken in hushed whispers all evening, lowering their voices whenever someone else approached. Minako couldn't figure out what had changed between them, but something definitely had.

Minako shut her eyes and remembered the incident a few nights prior. She had convinced Kurt to take a walk with her (not that it took much pleading). They had been strolling by Slater's house, discussing Kurt's ex-girlfriend Amanda, when they had overheard Usagi yelling. By the time they found the blonde, she had been sitting on the edge of the dock, in deep conversation with someone who had looked very familiar to Minako – a girl with white hair and magenta eyes, dressed in a strange outfit. The girl had also been foreign – for the life of her, Minako could not remember where she had seen the girl.

She had made Kurt swear that he would not tell a soul what they had seen, and he had promised, even though he wasn't sure why it was so important. Minako wasn't sure why it was, either, but somehow she could sense that what they had seen was momentous. She knew that the girl meant something… but what?

A groan of frustration slipped out, and she lightly hit the mattress with her foot. It was like trying to solve a puzzle when you didn't have all the pieces and didn't know what the final picture was supposed to look like. It was incredibly aggravating. Part of her wanted to just sit down and flat out ask Usagi what was going on, but a larger part of her bulked at that idea. She had seen the bottomless pain in Usagi's eyes when the girl thought no one was looking, and Minako didn't want to be the cause of more of that pain.

"But what about my pain?" she garbled into the pillow, biting down on the flimsy fabric. She shook her head like a dog, yanking the material back and forth in annoyance. Before Usagi had come to the institute, Minako had felt like a big part of her was missing. She had never been able to put a name on this missing part, and she hadn't had a way to find out what it was, so she had tried to just ignore it. It hurt, sometimes unbearably so, but she wasn't a good actress for nothing.

But then Usagi had come to the institute, and it was like the blonde could touch that missing part. No, it was more than that – Usagi _knew_ that missing part, and longed for it, but for some reason.. Minako chewed her lip. She didn't understand why Usagi wouldn't put them both at peace. It was confusing and irritating, because sometimes the part was _so close_...

"Hey, V-babe, you ever getting up?" a teasing voice asked.

Minako's eyes popped open in shock. She was _there_, inside of her memories, seeing everything and nothing all at once. Her hands ached with forgotten thoughts of golden light and love that was stronger than life itself. Her body tingled with phantom power and a suit of orange and yellow. The girl in the strange outfit was there, but she wasn't so strange anymore, and Minako was _there_, she was _there_...

And then it was gone, leaving her cold and mercilessly empty. She stared down at her glowing hands, seeing a smoking spot on the bed where the orange light had leapt from her fingers, breathing shallowly. The fact that she was weeping didn't hit her until a tear struck her left hand, and the glow faded away, and she was… nothing.

She turned her head slowly, looking at Usagi, who had her hands clapped over her mouth. There was a horrified look on the blonde's face, like a child that has been tricked into admitting they lied. Just beyond Usagi was Chibi-Usa, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. There was something in the child's eyes – yearning, mixed with sympathy so strong it took Minako's breath away, and she had to look away.

So cold she was trembling, Minako almost fell in her haste to climb down the ladder. She passed by Usagi without a second glance, almost running to the exit of the cabin. "Why can't you trust me?" she whispered over her shoulder, and then pushed the door open, not wanting to see the way Usagi flinched as if she had been slapped at the words.

As the door swung closed, Chibi-Usa stood very still. She didn't know what to say, and she watched her mother with a nervous glance. Usagi couldn't have been more stunned if Minako had actually hit her, and she sank down onto her bed with a soundless cry. Her hands were shaking, and she looked so pathetic that Chibi-Usa could have burst into tears.

"Mama," Chibi-Usa said, and crossed the room. She dropped her bathing stuff and knelt before her mother, looking up into Usagi's eyes. "Mama, I miss Aunt Minako."

Usagi began to cry again, tears falling silently down her cheeks. Chibi-Usa laid her head on her mother's lap and shut her eyes, struggling to keep her own tears at bay. "I can't," Usagi moaned, swaying slightly. "They're happy this way..."

"No, we're not," Chibi-Usa whispered. "Mama... you told me once that the greatest gift you could give someone was unconditional love. But Mommy, don't you understand, it can be a curse, too. The senshi don't just want your love, they need to return it. It's not unconditional love when you put rules on it. Don't they deserve the right to love with everything that they are, not just a fragment?

"I remember, when I was in the future, Aunt Venus told me once that she was very lonely before she met you. I know what that was like. I used to be so lonely in the future, Mommy. I hated it there. Mother and Father never had time for me, because they were so busy keeping Earth safe. The same goes for Aunt Venus and the other senshi, and I was just a princess to everyone else. I used to lie in bed at night and pray that I would wake up in the past. I dreamed about plain old shopping trips with Aunt Minako, or playing with Hotaru-chan. I would have given anything to close my eyes and wake up to you telling me I better hurry up if I wanted to come with you.

"But Mama, it's not the same to be here without knowing. Being a princess and a senshi made me who I am today. I don't want to be someone else, I want to be me. We will never not be senshi. We can't be us that way. I would rather be me as a senshi, good parts and bad, than not me as a normal person. Please, Mommy. I want my family back."

Usagi had been listening to this without speaking. Now, she dropped her head onto her chest, sobbing out loud. She could see that Chibi-Usa was right. Having been so focused on the negative aspects of being a senshi, she had totally forgotten about the good parts of it. She had always been the only one who had ever longed to be normal, and as time had gone by, she had begun to see normal as the perfect ideal. But it wasn't, not for the senshi. Her eyes slipped shut. She owed apologies to Luna, Artemis, Diana, and Syra, but also to all of her friends. Starting with her baby, and then her cousin.

"Chibi-Usa, my darling, I'm so sorry," she choked out, stroking the soft hair.

"It's okay," Chibi-Usa whispered, looking up at her. Her crimson eyes were damp with tears. "I'm glad… you understand, Mama."

"I do, I do," Usagi wept, hugging her daughter gently. She kissed her baby's forehead, thanking the gods above for sending her such a wonderful child. "I need to go find Minako," she murmured.

"Go," Chibi-Usa urged, pulling back slightly. "I want my auntie, Mommy! Hurry!"

Despite her tears, Usagi laughed a little. She hugged her daughter one last time, then got to her feet and hurried out of the room. Chibi-Usa watched her go, then sighed with relief. She was relieved that Usagi finally understood. It was hard watching her family walk around without knowing anything, especially when the senshi part of them meant so much to them all.

Usagi moved down the path quickly, filled with resolve. She headed towards the lake, guessing that Minako would have gone there to be alone. Her suspicions proved correct when she spotted the other blonde sitting on the dock alone, her head bowed. Wondering if Minako was crying, Usagi moved closer and whimpered. She was.

"What?" Minako said then, staring out at the lake. She turned, looking slightly guilty when she saw Usagi. "Usagi-chan, I..."

"No," Usagi said quickly. She strode out on the dock, but hesitated. "Can I sit down?"

"Sure," Minako muttered, sounding slightly confused.

Usagi sat down and looked out at the lake. The rolling waters gave her strength, and she breathed in deeply. Minako was her senshi, and more importantly, Minako was her friend. There was no reason to think that the blonde would ever turn her away, even after she received her memories. She held her breath and plunged in.

"Minako-chan, I know you know I have been keeping something from you," Usagi began slowly, linking her fingers together. "I was trying to protect you, even though it may not seem that way. These things... some of them are not pleasant. They are painful and horrible. Sometimes, I want to die because I have seen them. Some of them make me feel like crying until I can't cry anymore – some of them actually do. Some of them will haunt me until the day I die. Some of them will be with me even then. I wanted to keep these things from you.

"But in the process, I forgot about the good things. The happy things that keep me going, that make me get up in the morning. The things that make me fight for this world; the things that let me take the bad things and keep going. I knew that with the good, comes the bad, but I wasn't thinking about it. I kept a part of you from you, and I'm sorry for that. I want to give you this now, if you'll accept it."

Even though she knew it was nerve-wracking, Minako didn't say anything for a long time. She thought carefully about Usagi's words and what she had felt, currently felt, and would feel. It took her a good ten minutes before she was ready. "I will."

Usagi's head swiveled towards her, a mark already glowing on her forehead. Minako stared at the silver crescent moon in shocked surprise, then her eyes darted down to the locket Usagi held in her hand. The facets of the crystal started to catch the light, drawing her attention until she couldn't look away, staring deep into the depths of the large pink gem. A beam of orange light leapt free of the crystal and struck Minako's forehead. The pale symbol there lit up with a warm light that traveled down across the blonde's body.

The shining light of the crystal eventually dissipated, leaving a glowing, orange symbol for Venus upon Minako's brow. No longer pale, the mark shone with all the force of the princess of Venus' powers. Usagi gently closed her compact and slipped it back into her pocket. She rubbed her fingers over the spot where her own crescent moon glowed, feeling a strange warmth, and looked anxiously at her friend.

"V-chan?" she whispered nervously.

Minako's eyes opened. For a minute, yellow light flickered in the sapphire depths. "Serenity," she returned after a breathless pause, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry," Usagi moaned, falling into her cousin's arms and dissolving into tears.

"It's okay," Minako soothed, cradling her dearest friend. She wasn't empty anymore – she was whole. A smile touched her lips in spite of her tears and she hugged her cousin that much tighter. This time, she was never going to let go.

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There you go, a fresh new chapter with one more senshi remembering who she is. Please leave a review on your way out!


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attack.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the very long gap. I got consumed by National Novel Writing Month, and I suspect a good deal of you all did as well. Having said that, I'm very pleased with the warm reception my Chibi-Usa is receiving. I had worried about it, but it seems I didn't need to. I'm happy that everyone thinks she's much more human in this fic. You guys finally get to see her the way I do! I'm also glad that everyone seemed to be pleased with Minako being the first to remember. I had a lot of questions on who will remember next. I'm not actually sure. There are a couple of people who could, and it just depends on how I write the next couple of chapters. In other words, you'll just have to wait and see!

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"Usagi-chan!"

"... mmm..."

"Usagi-chan! Wake up, you lazy girl."

Ignoring the insistent voice that called her so impatiently, Usagi pulled the cover on her bed up over her face and pressed her pillow down against the back of her head to muffle the sound. Her talk with Minako had totally drained her, and she was trying to sneak in a nap before she had to pack for their return to the Institute. Unfortunately, it seemed as if she had been caught.

Hands grabbed her blanket, trying to pull it off. She resisted, hanging onto the worn cover with all of her strength. "Go away!"

There was a pause, and then the footsteps receded. A slightly smug smile crossed the blonde's face, and, believing she had won, she snuggled back in for a very long over-due nap. It wasn't to be. Less than a second after her body relaxed, freezing cold water was dumped unceremoniously onto her back. Shrieking in surprise, Usagi leapt from the bed, flinging off the damp blanket.

"Rei-chan!" she yelled angrily, glaring at the smug girl beside her.

"You brought it on yourself," Rei replied, her violet eyes smirking. Her long, raven hair was fastened in a waist-length French braid. She was dressed simply in a pair of pink jeans and a white cotton tank top. "I told you to get up!"

"You're mean," Usagi muttered, wiping a stream of water off of her cheek. She licked the droplets off of fingers and added grumpily, "What do you want?"

"We're leaving soon," replied Rei, leaning down. She grabbed a fistful of the clothing on the floor and tossed it onto the bed. "Professor Xavier has already pushed the time back by two hours, and you're still going to be late!"

"Oh, rats," mumbled the blonde. She had slept for longer than she had thought. Reaching under her bed, she grabbed her pink suitcase and dragged it out. "I hate packing."

"I noticed," Rei said with a faint smile, following the other girl around the cabin and picking up the articles of clothing that Usagi dropped in her haste. "You need to become more organized."

"Yeah, yeah," Usagi sighed, dumping an armload of clothing into her suitcase. She put her hands on top of it and pushed it down, poking the various items into the corners of her suitcase to make it fit. Rei just shook her head and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Here, odango atama," Rei snapped finally, pushing Usagi out of the way. Picking up a shirt, she began to fold them briskly but neatly and lay them down in the suitcase with plenty of room to spare.

"Hey, Rei-chan," said the blonde slowly, holding a pair of shorts in her hand. She looked up at her friend, her face oddly pale. "Do you.. know me?"

"What?" Looked at her in bewilderment, Rei frowned and flipped the end of her braid over her should. "What are you talking about?"

Usagi looked up, and her eyes were a strange shade of silver. Dropping the shorts on the bed, she held up a pretty locket that sparkled in the dim light. "I don't want my baby to grow up without her aunts," she said softly. "I want you to know me, Rei-chan."

"Usagi-chan?" Rei said, her voice uncertain. "What are you doing?"

"There you are!" a voice yelled. Usagi dropped the locket on the bed as Kitty and Minako entered the cabin.

"Rei, there you are," said Kitty, smiling.

"Hotaru-chan was looking for you," Minako added.

"Oh, thanks." Rei placed the brush she was holding on top of the clothing and walked over to the door. She lingered for a moment, staring at Usagi in confusion, before she finally walked out shaking her head. Kitty hurried after her.

"Did I see you holding up the crystal?" demanded Minako, looking hopeful.

"No such luck," muttered Usagi. "You've got the worst timing!"

Minako rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed without replying. For several minutes, she watched in amusement as Usagi dumped various items of clothing on top of Rei's neatly folded efforts and shoved down on the group to make them fit. Then she began to add shoes, jewelry, and cosmetics, as well as her bathroom items. By that time, Minako was choking on her laughter.

"Hey there, cousin," Minako said, her eyes shining. "Having fun?"

Usagi stuck her tongue out as she closed the suitcase and struggled to get it zipped up. It just wasn't happening, even when Minako came over to press her hands down on top of it. Finally, Usagi got up onto the bed and sat down on the suitcase while Minako struggled to get the zipper around. It took several minutes of poking and rearranging and heaving and struggling, but at last the zipper shut.

"There," Minako said cheerfully. "All packed."

"Where's Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked, noticing the absence of her daughter for the first time. When she and Minako had first returned to the cabin that morning, Chibi-Usa's cry of joy had echoed through the cabin as she flung herself at her aunt. She and Minako had gone for a walk to chat while Usagi napped.

"She's helping the bus get loaded up," Minako replied. "I came by to tell you, by the way. You're not coming back on the X-Bus with us."

"I'm not?" Usagi frowned in confusion. "How am I getting back?"

"There are two new teachers that Professor Xavier hired," said Minako. "They're coming back with us, but they have a car and they don't want to leave it behind. They've never been to the Institute, so I volunteered you to show them the way."

"What?" exclaimed Usagi, staring at her friend. "Minako-chan! I don't want to spend the bus ride back with two strangers. I want to be with you and Chibi-Usa-chan."

Minako threw her head back and laughed, her golden hair glittering in the light. "Trust me, these are two strangers you _won't_ mind riding with," she said, smiling. "They're waiting for you in the parking lot."

"Who are they?" Usagi asked, curious.

But Minako simply shook her head, a devious smile tugging at her lips, and picked up Usagi's suitcase. "I'll take this to the X-Bus," she said calmly, unperturbed by her friend's annoyed glare. "Don't worry, Usa. Have a fun ride back."

Usagi sulked as Minako headed out the door with a jaunty wave. She normally did not mind meeting strangers, but she had looked forward to gossiping with Minako and Chibi-Usa on the bus ride back. A plan was forming in her mind, but she had wanted the opinions of the two girls before she did anything. Now, she would have to wait, and she had _never_ enjoyed waiting.

Pouting a little, she reached under her bed and seized her backpack, pulling it out. After shaking it to remove the dust, she plopped it down on the sheets and picked up one of her books, placing it inside. It didn't take her very long to gather up the few things that her suitcase hadn't been able to fit, and once she was done, she made a very quick tour of the room to make sure that no one else had forgotten anything if importance. She found a necklace of Kitty's, a glove of Rogue's, and a sweater belonging to Hotaru, nothing else. These items she slipped into her backpack along with her nightgown before she quickly got dressed in a jean skirt, pink sneakers, and a pink and white halter top.

Finally, the blonde picked up her backpack with one hand and headed out the door. She closed the cabin door behind her and started to walk down the path, sliding her arms through the straps of her pack. The parking lot was only a short distance away, but she didn't see anyone waiting for her. Tapping her foot, she stopped and turned around to take one last look.

The camp seemed so innocent, with the water shining under the sun and the cabins looking cheerful. The woods looked calm and peaceful, and as she watched, a squirrel raced down one tree trunk, darted across the grounds, and sprinted up another, chattering loudly. Usagi smiled at the tiny animal, hooking her fingers loosely into the straps of her pack. A lot had changed at this camp, some things good and some things bad. She was glad they had come.

The sound of a motor behind her caused her to spin in surprise. A dark blue convertible pulled up in front of her, gliding smoothly to a stop. "Hey," Haruka said with a slight smile, turning the car off. "Are you ready?"

"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" Usagi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She looked at the two women excitedly. "Are you the new teachers?"

"That would be us," Haruka replied. "Come on. We're supposed to be there before dinner, aren't we? It's a long drive."

Usagi smiled back tentatively and walked over to the car. She dropped her backpack onto the seat, then climbed in past Haruka. The inside of the car was a deep gray, and she looked around admiringly as she snuggled into the plush seats. Haruka turned the key in the ignition and started up the car, drove out of the parking lot and turned onto the highway. Within minutes, they were driving along at a steady speed.

Closing her eyes, Usagi relaxed into the comfortable seats with a contented sigh. She remembered Minako's puzzling statement that morning and had to smile. Indeed, her friend had been more than right. These were two people that Usagi didn't mind getting a ride with. Quite the opposite, in fact – she was overjoyed to see the outer senshi again.

The wind jerked and teased at her hair, flirting with the silvery blonde curls until the two streamers spiraled out behind her. She opened her eyes and gasped with pleasure at the sight of the sea. Haruka had chosen a route alongside the river, and it was breath-taking to see the way the water crashed up against the rock. If she leaned against the side just right, she could almost feel the fine spray dampening her skin.

"What?" she asked suddenly, belatedly realizing that she was being spoken to.

"I asked what your power was," Michiru repeated, half-turning in her seat to smile. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail that was rapidly falling out.

"Oh," Usagi said, looking a little embarrassed. "I, ah, can heal people. And I can shape shift. Into a little kitty. Er, and I can also do this," she added, fluttering her fingers. Sparkling bits of dust tumbled gracefully from her hands, vanishing in the wind as soon as they appeared.

"Those are lovely powers," complimented Michiru. "My power is with water. I can remain underwater for undetermined lengths of time and breathe just as well as when I am on the surface. I can also control the water around me, and sometimes, if I concentrate, I can use the water within my body for things."

"Cool," said Usagi sweetly, although this didn't surprise her at all. "What about you, Haruka-san?"

"My power focuses on the wind," Haruka responded distractedly. "I can manipulate it into a shield, and lift impossibly heavy objects. I can call upon different types of weather – for example, using the right wind, I can usher in a storm or chase one way. Also, I can use the wind to lift myself up into the air – fly, if you will."

"Oooh," she murmured appreciatively, and ducked her head to hide the smile that twitched at her lips. Haruka had so longed to be the wind in the past – that was why she participated in cross country runs and why she drove so fast. How fitting that her powers should now deal with the very thing she wanted to be! Both sets of powers had certainly manifested in a positive way.

"Usagi-chan, may I ask you a question?" Michiru asked, twisting around in her seat to face the blonde. Her expression was serious, her deep blue eyes calm as one slender finger played with a strand of her slightly curled hair.

"Of course," Usagi said with a surprised laugh. "You can ask me anything."

"Why did you make us promise you about sacrifices?" Haruka questioned bluntly. She promptly received a smack on the arm from Michiru, who was rolling her eyes at her partner's directness.

Usagi's jaw dropped as Haruka's abrupt question repeated in her mind. Her face paled dramatically and she started to mentally curse Minako for volunteering her without permission. Swallowing hard, her mind racing to think of an excuse, she attempted a weak smile. Her hands clenched together, causing her nails to sink into the soft skin. "S... sacrifices?" she squeaked, wishing in vain that she had said nothing that day.

"Yes," said Michiru, peering at her in curiosity. There was a vaguely concerned look on the woman's face. "You were leaving... and you turned around quite suddenly and made us promise not to... to sacrifice." There was confusion in her voice, indicating that she had most likely been pondering this for some time.

"Er," muttered Usagi, chewing on a golden strand of hair. Damn her big mouth! "I... I knew someone like you a long time ago," she said after several seconds of furious thinking. "Two people... We were, ahm, fighting. Against, you know, mutant-haters." The lies tasted like ashes in her mouth. "One time, both of them... well, they wanted to, um, sacrifice themselves so that the rest of our group could get away. And... I said to them... I said..." Her voice trailed away.

"What did you say?" Haruka prompted, glancing at her in the mirror.

Staring down at her lap, Usagi clenched her fists and shut her eyes. She spoke in a quivery voice. "I said, fighting gets you _nowhere_," she spit the words out. "All we do is end up hurting each other! It doesn't do anyone any good at all, because we all end up crying in the end. No one, willing or not, should have to sacrifice themselves for anything. It's not winning if someone has to die! If we could just work together, if we could just put everything that we have into one common goal, sacrifices don't have to be made. _They're never okay_."

Her breathing grew ragged as the words spilled out. "I begged them to understand, to let me help. I said, why can't we fight together? What is so important about your _damn_ mission that you would rather push me away than accept my help? I can help you, for no cost at all, just say yes, damnit, _I can_ _save you_..."

"What did they say?" Haruka asked quietly. She could sense what the answer was, but something in her told her that this needed to be said.

"They said no," Usagi stated simply, and started to cry. Her tears slipped down her cheeks, hot at first but cooling rapidly in the strong breeze. The material of her jean skirt turned dark where the tiny droplets hit. "They said no. And they died."

There was silence in the car for several minutes afterwards. The only sound was that of the radio and Usagi's soft sobbing. When Haruka, at last, pulled into a service station for more gas, the blonde leapt over the side of the car and fled into the store without a word, leaving her friends behind to exchange looks.

"I feel badly for her," Michiru murmured with a faint sigh. "It hit her very hard, obviously."

Haruka sighed. "She's too sensitive," she said roughly. "Sometimes sacrifices do have to be made, don't they? For the good of the many?" She looked at her partner, as if suddenly questioning her beliefs.

Tying her turquoise hair back anew with a ribbon, Michiru pondered this. "I think... it depends on the situation," she said at last. "We should be more understanding this time, Ruka." Her deep eyes were somber. "It obviously crushed her when we died last time."

"Yeah, yeah," Haruka muttered, pulling the hose out of the gas pump. "We're here, aren't we?"

Inside the station's bathroom, Usagi splashed cool water on her cheeks. She rubbed the remaining liquid off of her cheeks and looked into the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes rimmed with red, but beyond that, her face was pale. Were Haruka and Michiru remembering? Or did they know everything already? She wished desperately that there was a way to find out without revealing it all if they _didn't_ know. She wished she had gone on the X-Bus with the rest of the students. She wished Minako or Chibi-Usa were there.

She wished... that she had never kept the memories from her senshi in the first place.

A soft laugh spilled from her lips. "It's way too late for that," she told her reflection, watching the unhappy expression of the solemn girl in the mirror.

Sighing, Usagi grabbed her purse and left the bathroom. She wandered over to the candy section, where she surveyed the different kinds of sugary treats. Even though she hadn't eaten yet that day, nothing really appealed to her. After several seconds of aimless staring, she picked up a few random bags and headed to the cash, pausing only long enough to pick up a six-can-container of soda.

Once she had paid, she walked outside, not even noticing that she had passed Haruka and Michiru on their way in. She placed her purchases in the back of the car and lifted her face to the sun, enjoying the feel of the warmth on her damp skin. The golden rays reminded her of something very important.

Glancing over her shoulder, she searched for her friends. Michiru was nowhere to be seen, but Haruka was standing at the checkout with her wallet in hand. So, she had a few seconds alone, at least. Facing forward, she closed her eyes and quickly sorted out her thoughts. Her message couldn't be too long, or the words would get lost and mangled along the way.

"Luna, Artemis, Diana," she said clearly into the wind, her voice flying into the breeze. "I am only missing Pluto and the Earth; the others have returned to me. Chibi-Usa and Minako know everything. The others will follow soon enough. Come home as soon as you are able. I miss and love you all. Usagi."

"Did you say something?" Michiru asked, nearly scaring the blonde out of her wits. She leaned past and set a shopping back down on the floor, then took a sip from the bottle of water in her hand.

"Ah, no," Usagi said, one hand on her rapidly beating heart. She smiled weakly and climbed into the back of the car, wondering how much of her message had been overheard.

Haruka returned to the car and hopped in with a practiced motion. As the car drove back out onto the highway, Usagi rummaged in her bag for a comic book. The message had taken some of the weight off of her shoulders, and she realized now that she was being slightly foolish. When they reached the Institute, it wouldn't be long until all of her senshi had their memories back. Of course, she reflected to herself as she flipped open the small book, considering the behavior of Haruka and Michiru in the battle of Galaxia... well, she planned to have a long talk with the two of them.

Michiru screamed. Usagi's head snapped up in shock as Haruka slammed on the brakes, sharply jerking the car to the left. She caught sight of a smear of blue out of the corner of her eye and heard loud laughter. The tires squealed as the car spun around in a circle, slipping over the side of the road backwards. Usagi was hardly aware of the fact that she was screaming as the car hurtled down the steep incline into the woods. There was a sharp jolt that made her bones shudder, and then the car was turning...

Struggling to cling to the seat, she continued to shriek as the car came to a rest with a particularly hard thud. The ground rumbled beneath their heads, and then suddenly crumbled away, taking her backpack with it. A yawning pit echoed beneath them, waiting to swallow them up. The car trembled, then sank several inches without warning, coming to rest upside down with a rough shiver that made her squeeze her eyes shut to try and block it out...

She clung to the car as the seatbelt dug into her thighs and her throat became raw from the cries she couldn't seem to stop. Her eyes were shut tight, and she couldn't seem to summon the strength to pry them open. Her whole body was pounding, her heart quivering within her body. Whimpering, she wondered if her friends had already fallen to their deaths...

Tears fell down her cheeks as her seatbelt snapped from the force of her weight. A piteous howl escaped her as she started to fall, supported only by the grip she had on the strap above the door. Her arms quickly began to ache, and then to throb with a fiery pain. She could literally feel herself becoming weaker as the seconds trickled by, and she cried helplessly...

A low laugh, filled with mocking and triumphant, sliced through the air, accompanied by the blazing hot pain of a knife across her wrists. She yelped, instinctively releasing the strap, and screamed as her body fell into the darkness. No color could be seen as she plummeted at a dizzying speed, writhing in the empty space, her cries bouncing off the walls until she thought she would go mad...

And then, without warning, the ground was there, greedily meeting her tender flesh. Her head struck the floor and bounced, coming to rest against a rock. She didn't think her eyes were open, but she then she saw the smear of blue, and she realized that they were. But it didn't matter, because then her eyes did close, and this time, they did not open.

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At the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, the students were, for the most part, cheerful as they settled back into their old routine. The school was alight with laughter and smiles once more, save for a single room at the top of the mansion. In this one room, a group of eight people stood in silence, with varying expressions of shock, surprise, and pain. The one emotion present in all of them: fear. Thick and vibrant, the fear in the room was so potent the walls were painted with it.

"What..." Minako tried and failed, her face pale. She forced the words out. "What do you mean... Usagi is... _missing_?"

Xavier sighed, clearly distressed. "Rescue searchers have found the place where their car went off the road, Minako," he said, his voice reassuring. "Unfortunately, beneath the car was a new entrance to the many caves in the area. We suspect that the force of the accident caused the ground to give away. However, rest assured; everything is being done to find them."

Minako could feel her hands trembling. "No," she said, and her voice was a low moan. "Haruka-san... Michiru-san... she was supposed to be _safe_ with them. If not with them..." Collapsing into her chair, the blonde buried her face in her hands and started to cry. "What is happening to us?"

Chibi-Usa had been sitting in silence since the announcement had been made. Her face was ashen, her crimson eyes filled with tears. It seemed like only moments ago she had cheerfully bid her mother good-bye; her skin still tingled with the warmth from Usagi's last embrace. She had to struggle to not give in to the tears. Summoning every last bit of princess training that she had ever received, she looked up, her face eerily still.

"How could this happen?" she asked, and her voice was sharp and cold and regal.

"We're not sure," Xavier said softly, placing his hands on his desk. "There is nothing to indicate a hit-and-run. The authorities suspect a deer leapt in front of the car."

'_Not a deer_,' Chibi-Usa thought with amazing calmness, digging her nails into the chair she was sitting on. The anger she had felt during the fight earlier returned, swirling beneath the surface until her eyes fairly sparked with a rage that she had never before felt. Just underneath it was a grief so powerful that it was poking holes in her anger too quickly; her anger was gone in less than a minute until it was all she could do to keep her composure together.

Without permission, her mind skipped to images of what an evil creature would do to Usagi if they caught her alone and unprotected. With her mother at less than full strength, it might be all too easy for permanent end to be laid to Sailor Moon. It had nearly happened several times before. It might have happened already. She wanted to believe that she would know if it had, but would she really?

She had to get out of the room, Chibi-Usa realized. The grief of her aunt was suffocating, and she could feel the tears pricking at the edges of her own eyes. Swallowing hard as Xavier picked up his jingling telephone, she turned blindly towards the balcony of the office. The moonlight outdoors sang to her, summoning a grieving granddaughter.

It took her a minute to realize that Logan was standing in front of the balcony doors, staring at her. "Settle yourself, half-pint," he said, his gruff voice strangely gentle. "Your sister will be found."

Chibi-Usa just _looked_ at him, her crimson eyes a storm of emotion. "Your opinion is noted, my dear, future stepfather," she said clearly, fighting the quivering of her voice. The crescent mark on her forehead caught the light as she ducked her head and pushed by.

Outdoors, she closed the doors behind her and went over to the railing of the balcony. Clasping her hands together against her chest in a sign of prayer, she bowed her head. A cool wind blew, gently brushing the ends of her hair against her face. Two tears rolled down her face, glowing with a silvery light as they fell silently to the ground. The crescent mark on her forehead glimmered mournfully.

"Grandmother, please watch over Mama," she whispered into the breeze, clenching her fingers. "Please, bring her back to me. After all, I'm too young to be an orphan."

'_Aren't I?_'

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Dundundun... This scene is a lot more emotional. The first time I wrote it, I didn't demonstrate their emotions the way I wanted to. No one was really, you know, that upset. I think it came off a lot better in this version. Please review! Ciao!


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** It amused me how someone thought I might take away Usagi's memories now. It hadn't occurred to me, but oh wouldn't that be an interesting plot twist? It's a good thing no one had told me that the first time around, or this story would be going in a very different direction! I hope you enjoy. Please review!

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The first thing that Usagi was aware of was the pain. It seemed to attack her on all sides, passing straight through like she wasn't there and leaving behind a slow, persistent throb. Just moving her head ever so slightly against the surface she was resting against made the darkness spin in a very dizzying way. She cautiously opened one eye to see if that would help, but quickly closed them. Nope, that only made it a lot worse._ A lot_ worse. For a moment, she wondered if she was going to throw up.

Once the feeling had passed, she struggled to remember what had happened, but recalling made her head ache even more. Letting it go for the moment, she pressed her nose into the fabric her cheek was laying on and breathed in the faint scent of something familiar. Vaguely tangy, slighty spicy. Very... And she was being carried. Her arms were dangled across the shoulders of someone strong; her legs were being balanced on this person's hips and held with a powerful hand.

"Usagi-chan?" a soft, concerned voice spoke to her, and the person carrying her stopped walking. "Are you all right? Do you remember what happened?"

It hit her then, and she curled her fingers into Haruka's clothing to stop the onslaught. She remembered sitting in the car with the two of them, and hearing Michiru scream, and the horrible car crash... and the even worse fall into nothingness. The darkness she was looking at now seemed too similar, and she quickly opened her eyes, ignoring the pain that pierced her brow.

"Michiru-san," she whispered, struggling to make her tongue cooperate. The words felt foreign. Her mouth was dry and she swallowed with difficulty, squinting at the world with blurred vision.

"Are you alright?" Michiru asked again. She stepped up behind Haruka and supported Usagi's weight as Haruka released the girl, gently lowering Usagi to the ground. Her hand lifted to Usagi's lips, caressing the skin until Usagi complied and opened her mouth. Cool, sweet water trickled into her mouth from Michiru's fingertips, and she drank greedily.

"We're in a cave," Haruka told her. The blonde had a bruise on one cheek, and she was cradling her right arm in an odd manner that belied her confident smile. "The hole was too deep for any wind to reach us, so we had to start walking. You were knocked out and wouldn't respond."

Usagi nodded, summoning the strength to lightly push Michiru's hand away. Her wrist throbbed with movement and she remembered a slice of pain in the dark as she winced. "Thank you for carrying me," she managed to rasp out.

"Do you feel okay?" Michiru peered into the girl's eyes. "Do you think you can walk?"

"Yes," whispered Usagi, because even if she couldn't, she was going to, and she used the wall she was leaning against to rise somewhat unsteadily to her feet.

The cave they were in was dark, with barely enough light to see each other. The walls seemed to be made out of rough rock that left tiny cuts on her hands when she touched it. The ground was also stone, but seemed to be covered with a film of water. Her sneaker made an annoying squeak when she took a step, and her jaw twitched with irritation. She could also hear the sound of slowly dripping water somewhere up ahead. The air was very still, and she had the impression that they were quite deep underground.

"Let's go," Haruka said, reaching out to Michiru. The woman leaned on her partner with a somewhat relieved look, and Usagi was alarmed to see that Michiru was limping heavily on her left leg. Every step she took nearly caused to her crumble to the ground, and her face grimaced deeply with pain.

Falling into step behind them, Usagi cursed her own pain. She didn't dare soothe the wounds of her friends, less she herself become too wrought with pain to fight if an evil presence made itself known. She could only hope and pray in silence that the evil had fled after causing their accident.

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Logan paced back and forth in his small room, taking occasional swigs from the beer bottle in his hand. His mind was spinning with the events of the day. He was trying to convince himself that the reason he was so agitated was due to the fact that his motorcycle had a scratch on it curtesy of a paticularly clumsy student, but his mind was having none of it.

Tsukino Usagi, along with the two new teachers, was still missing. Although the girl had only a small group of friends at the Insitute, the entire school seemed to echo her absence. All of the students were subdued, and a select few were in tears constantly. The youngest Tsukino hadn't stopped weeping since the news had reached her ears. The blonde – Minako – was trying to console the child, but it didn't seem to be working. The boy Tsukino just wandered around with a shocked look on his face.

Pausing in his frantic pacing, Logan sat down on the edge of the bed. The words that Chibi-Usa had spoken to him earlier that night rang again in his ears. "_Your opinion is noted, my dear, future stepfather_," he heard the clear, childish voice say again. Her words confused him again and again. Usagi had told him that she and Chibi-Usa were sisters. The two of them did look eerily alike for siblings, but he and the rest of them had accepted this explanation at face value.

Was it possible that there was more to the two of them than they were admitting to? He frowned at this thought. It didn't seem likely. Although he didn't know the exact ages of the two girls, he estimated that Usagi couldn't have been older than sixteen and Chibi-Usa had to be at least eight. If Usagi was the little girl's mother, she would have had to have given birth to Chibi-Usa when she was eight years old. That was impossible. Logan took another drink. So the kid must have been just... what? Playing around?

He sighed. This was getting him absolutely no where, and the beer in his hand was doing nothing to assuage the growing worry in his chest. It annoyed him that he was so concerned, since he wasn't used to worrying about anyone except himself. Being worried about the small blonde was very confusing for him. He kept telling himself that he shouldn't be worried, and his self agreed, except that it didn't matter because he still was.

"What can't I get you out of my head?" he hissed, hurtling the bottle in his hand against the wall. The glass shattered on impact, sending razor sharps shards everywhere. A few sliced his skin open, but he ignored the pain as the pale amber liquid trickled down the wall and began to soak into the carpet. Within seconds, his mutation had healed the stricken places.

Logan looked out the window. Seeing the moon high above leant him some comfort, but not very much. "Usagi... where are you...?"

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Currently, Usagi was doing her absolute best to not freak out screaming. She thought she was doing a very good job of it, considering the circumstances. The three of them had been walking for a very long time, and even though Usagi knew they had covered a lot of ground, it didn't seem that way at all. The cave hadn't changed in the slightest, and the only thing about their situation that had become different was the fact that the light source had dimmed dramatically, enough so that Usagi was having trouble seeing the backs of her friends a couple of feet ahead.

Something soft and furry and warm crawled across her left foot. Usagi screeched, jerking her foot into the air so that the thing flew out into the darkness. A bright light seared the air, lighting up the corners of the cave as Usagi threw herself forward, clutching Haruka fearfully around the waist.

"Something touched me!" she squealed, clinging to the blonde. "Kill it, kill it, kill it!"

"I think it's gone, Usagi-chan," Michiru said soothingly, squinting as she patted the horrified girl on the shoulder.

Usagi looked up cautiously, revealing the source of the bright light. Upon her forehead was a silver Crescent Moon with the faint imprint of a pink heart in the center of it. The mark glowed with a forceful white light, allowing them to truly see their surroundings for the first time.

"You're glowing, kitten," Haruka said, sounding amused.

"Oops," Usagi mumbled into Haruka's shirt, cursing her reaction. She had allowed her magic to get away without thinking.

"Don't be sorry, now we can see," Haruka told her, gently prying her shirt out of the blonde's grip. "But if you've got anything else that would be helpful, say, a pair of wings, feel free to bring them out now."

"I wish I did have my wings," Usagi said sadly, surprising the two women. "Oh, you don't know much I wish I had my wings..."

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Minako held the light ball in the palm of her hand, her fingers lightly curled to keep it in place. She raised her other hand in preparation and tossed the ball into the air. As it reached the height of the toss and began to fall, she slammed her opposite hand into it with every last bit of strength, sending it hurtling towards the other side of the court.

"Watch it, Mina!" Kitty Pryde yelped as the ball passed through her harmlessly, bounced off the floor and rebounded off of the wall. "Don't like, hit it so hard."

"Sorry," Minako muttered, readying herself to return Kitty's serve. When Kitty had offered to play a game of volleyball with her, Minako had thought it would be a good way to release her frustration at being so helpless with the current situation. But it wasn't helping. She had a ton of supressed energy, and just thinking about her best friend out there mostly alone caused her to spike the ball angrily.

Squealing, Kitty hit the floor as the ball passed through the space where her head had been seconds before. The ball spiralled through the air and made contact with a man who had just walked into the room with Professor Xavier. He cursed, his hand flying up to his head as the ball bounced back towards Minako, who was staring at him, stunned.

"Are you alright, Mamoru?" Xavier asked, raising his hand to hide his apparent amusement.

"Fine," the man said, running his hands through his short, dark hair. His midnight blue eyes were unreadable.

"Mina, Kitty, these are our other two new teachers. Mamoru and Setsuna Chiba," Xavier said, gesturing to them. "They'll be teaching at the Institute starting next week."

"Hey," Kitty said as she picked herself up off of the floor.

"Hello," the woman said, bowing slightly. She was tall and slender, with long waves of deep green hair and piercing, magenta eyes. "It's nice to meet you all."

Minako just stared, her mouth open slightly, her eyes locked onto Mamoru and Setsuna. "Hello," she uttered breathlessly, and the sudden, inexplicable urge to giggle rose up in her throat. She coughed, trying to swallow it without success. "It's... ah... nice to meet you."

"You too," Mamoru said with a slight nod. Behind him, Minako caught sight of familiar pink and violet hair poking around the corner of the door. Chibi-Usa made a face as she pointed at Mamoru, then stuck her finger towards her open mouth and pretended to throw up. Above her, Hotaru covered her mouth and giggled.

Ducking down quickly to hide the smirk on her face, Minako retrieved the ball and stood up once she had composed her expression. "I'm sure you'll fit in well here," she said, rubbing the ball between her hands.

"Thank you," said Setsuna, smiling. She looked faintly amused.

"Come on, Mina, let's get back to our game," Kitty said. "But no killing me, okay?"

"Okay," Minako agreed. She served the ball, smirking the whole while. Now she really couldn't wait for Usagi to return, if only to see the look on the blonde's face when she saw her ex-future husband.

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Usagi squirmed on the hard floor, struggling to get comfortable on something was never going to be comfortable no matter what she did. Michiru had insisted on a break, claiming that she didn't want any of them to over extend themselves. Personally, Usagi believed that Michiru just couldn't walk anymore. This was another reason she couldn't fall asleep. Just how much was Michiru really suffering? It would be just like the graceful woman to remain quiet.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip..._

Gradually, the girl's breathing grew slower and deeper as her body relaxed. Only then did she start to feel the aches and pains caused by the crash, small things like protesting mucles and throbbing joints. Her headache returned and she wrinkled her nose, actually relieved to be able to press her forehead against the cool ground. The irritating sound of the water droplets hitting the ground annoyed her, but there was nothing she could do and she didn't want to disrupt Michiru for such a meagre thing.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip..._

Her brow furrowed as she tried to sleep. It was no good, despite her fatigue. Not only was the phyiscal condition of her body keep her awake, her emotions were constantly fluxuating. She couldn't stop worrying about Haruka or Michiru, nor about what her friends would do when they heard the news, nor about what to do when it came to memories. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

_Drip... drip... drip... splat!_

Squeaking, Usagi's eyes sprang open and her hand flew up to her face. She rubbed it frantically, realizing that she had been struck with water. Bewildered, she looked in the directions of her two friends. Both of them were asleep, curled up close together. A puzzled frown touched Usagi's face and she leaned back on her eblows, feeling uncertain.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip…_

A hand touched her shoulder.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip…_

Usagi turned around slowly.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip…_

Seargent Slater smiled at her.

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Seated alone in the room shared by herself and her mother, Chibi-Usa laid her forehead against her knees and shut her eyes in thought. She knew now that, soon after the sealing of Chaos, Crystal Tokyo had begun to fall apart. It had been truly terrifying at the time, but Neo-Queen Serenity had seemed to profess a certain amount of relief at the news that Usagi and Mamoru had broken up in the past, officially destroying the future.

Chibi-Usa had been sure she would die at the time, but then one day, Usagi herself had strolled into the court of the palace and summoned Chibi-Usa and Diana to her side. "We're going home," the blonde had said, a touch of smugness in her warm silver eyes. It had been easier than she expected to leave it all behind. She barely thought about that future now, if truth be told. Some part of her missed her parents, but a larger part knew that the life she had with Usagi would make her happy forever.

She had changed since she had been given new life in the past. No longer was she the spoiled rotten kid she once was. Chibi-Usa felt calmer and softer, but also stronger, on a daily basis. She didn't have to struggle for attention as a person anymore; Usagi was all the mother she wanted and more. It was a true relief to just be able to be herself, without worry about being a princess.

A knock came at the door quite suddenly, followed by it opening. Shy violet eyes peeked around the doorframe. "Chibi-Usa-chan?"

"Hotaru!" Chibi-Usa's eyes brightened, her fears momentarily forgotten. It had been a joy to see her best friend again after receiving her memories.

"I came to see how you were feeling," Hotaru said softly, edging into the room. She closed the door partway behind her and approached the bed. Solemn and sweet in a dark purple dress, her pale skin made her look like a ghost in the darkened room.

"I'm better," said the younger girl, looking at her friend with some thought. Usagi had been planning on restoring the memories of the senshi, and Chibi-Usa was terribly lonely with her mother around. Could it hurt to perhaps return a few memories a little ahead of schedule? "Hotaru-chan?"

"Yes?" Hotaru looked at her and tucked a few strands of coal black hair behind her ear.

"Do you love me?" Chibi-Usa asked abruptly.

Hotaru appeared surprise, and a slight blush came into her cheeks. "Well... I... you are my friend," she stammered.

Chibi-Usa nodded, a smile touching her lips. "_Crystal Clarion_!" she cried unexpectedly, holding her hands up above her head. The bell appeared between them, the solid weight resting against her fingers. She stood up, balancing herself awkwardly on the bed. "Hotaru-chan, please, remember who we used to be. _Candy Yell_!"

The bell began to toll, a high-pitched, soft jingling that sounded as if it came from a distance far away. It filled the room, rolling against the walls in waves. Hotaru backed away, her eyes wide as the music surrounded her with no escape. Her hands went up to her head and she groaned in pain as the symbol of Saturn glowed brightly, the searing violet light shining. She fell to her knees and huddled over slightly, tears falling down her cheeks as the light died away, leaving the sign in stark view.

"Hotaru?" Chibi-Usa whispered as the bell ceased to ring.

"Chibi-Usa," Hotaru croaked out, looking up. Her expression was the same, but her eyes were different.

"Hotaru!" Crying with joy, she threw her bell aside. The clarion vanished before it hit the ground as Chibi-Usa threw herself off of the bed and embraced her friend eagerly.

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Screaming, Usagi thrust her body backwards, scrambling away from the woman. She simply laughed in response, a chilling and somewhat familiar sound, and stepped forward. Her pale eyes glittered in the dim light, sparkling malevolently. Although she was still dressed in her sweatsuit, there appeared to be something different about Slater. The way she held herself was positively chilling.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi exclaimed, pressing her back ot the wall. She was vaguely aware of Haruka and Michiru sitting up in shock somewhere to her right, having been awakened by her scream.

"I came to destroy you, of course," Slater said, all mirth vanishing from her expression. "You have caused my master enough grief." From her pocket, the woman removed the much hated silver whistle. She placed it to her lips and blew.

The shrill, agonizing sound was even more torture than before. Usagi clapped her hands to her ears, trying in vain to block out the noise. It seemed to go on for ages before it stopped without warning. The piercing sound continued in her head for a few moments, bouncing around before it finally stopped to leave a ringing in her ears.

She looked up at Slater when a rough chuckle came forth. No longer did the woman look human. Her skin was the darkened purple shade of someone who has suffered severe frostbite, nearly black, and radiating with a cold so frigid that Usagi began to shiver. Her lips were the pale blue shade of a drowning person. Her eyes were round, pupiless circles of white, as was her hair, which was devoid of color except for the barest hint of blue. Her fingernails were claws, sharpened to a point and dripping with a toxic, foul liquid. The gown she wore was ink black and rippled like water, leaving a puddle on the ground when she moved. On her forehead was a black crescrent moon attached to its mirror image by the points.

"I am not Slater, little princess," the creature said. Its voice was deceptively sweet and soft, overly pleasant to listen to. "My name is Mizuha. I am an agent of Mistress Rehanne. I will destroy you and earn the reward of my mistress."

Its right hand flashed out, quicker than anyone could see, and closed tightly around Usagi's neck. She gasped in pain as her body became numb almost immediately. A burning came from the tight grasp on her tender skin and she cried, shuddering at the conflicting sensations. The grip tightened, cutting off her air supply, and her body twitched involuntarily.

"Usagi!" Haruka yelled her name, hurtling a rock that was easily deflected.

Usagi gazed at her senshi through half-open eyes. Her lips moved, struggling to form words. The creature growled, even that a sweet sound, and its nails pierced her flesh. A soundless whimper escaping her lips, Usagi's eyes rolled up in her head and her body went limp into the sweet throes of unconsciousness.

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I'm a mean, mean girl... Review!


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** I can wager a guess as to how impressed you all are with me, but I've got nothing to offer except that I'm lazy, school is time consuming (as is work) and... I'm lazy. I've had this chapter typed for a while, but I never bothered to update, and I'm sorry. I promise to be more diligant about it in the future, I really do. My school is ending this week and so I think it will be easier. Bear with me, guys, I'll try to do better by you all.

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Hino Rei pressed her fingers through her long, raven hair, sighing. Her head ached faintly with the stress of a very long day, and she pressed her hand to her forehead for a moment before picking up a towel. She wiped the rising steam off of the bathroom mirror and leaned closer, peering at her reflection. Wide, dark violet eyes stared back at her, framed with naturally dark lashes and unnaturally dark circles beneath. She sighed and made a face.

Rumors had raged wild through the mansion when it became known that Usagi and the two other new teachers had never come back. It ranged from totally ridiculous – Usagi had run off to become a prostitute in the city of New York – to plausible – Usagi had died in a car accident and Professor Xavier was covering it up until a way to explain it to the students could be found.

Pulling her top over her head, Rei scowled deeply at the mere thought. She was confident that, had anything happened, the professor would have been upfront with the students. He wasn't the sort to conceal things from children, no matter how horrible the news was. At least, he didn't seem like he was. Rei had had some experience with those kinds of people, and she could tell that Xavier didn't appear to be one of them.

Shucking off the rest of her clothing, Rei placed them in a pile on the floor near the bathroom door and turned the water for the shower on. Her mouth twitched with annoyance when the water flowed out ice cold no matter how far she turned the faucet to the right. Rolling her eyes, she extended her hand and narrowed her eyes intently. Tendrils of strangely bright fire escaped each of her fingers, gathering into a ball in the middle of her palm. She placed the ball on the nozzle that the water came from, forcing the water to go through the fire to hit the ground.

It cost quite a bit more concentration to create a fire that water couldn't put out, but Rei could do it, for a short amount of time. Professor Xavier had promised to work with her until she could do it for longer, but there hadn't been any time to think about training, much less put it into practice. She also wanted to work with him on her dreams. While her dreams could show her the future sometimes, they were often murky and uncertain, centering on random or confusing events that didn't make any sense. It was her secret desire that someday she could direct her dreams to focus on certain things.

Climbing into the shower, Rei reached for a bottle of shampoo. She was deeply concerned about Usagi, although she didn't want to admit it. The last time she had spoken to the blonde kept playing through her mind, and she wished desperately that she already knew how to control her dreams. Then she could see where Usagi was, and know if the girl was safe or not.

"_Hey, Rei-chan. Do you... know me?"_

Rei swallowed hard and scrubbed furiously at her hair as the softly spoken words danced in her head. Usagi had been about to do something, she was sure. If only Kitty and Minako hadn't chosen that moment to walk into the room! She might _know_ already and then she wouldn't have to put up with this stupid worry.

"_I don't want my baby to grow up without her aunts."_

That line had confused her the most, and she had thought about it a lot. Sometimes, she wondered if Usagi knew her from a long time ago. When the blonde was near, Rei felt... strange. She knew Minako had felt the same way, until recently. Now, there was a depth of clarity in Minako's sapphire blue eyes that Rei was painfully jealous of, even if she didn't understand why.

"_I want you to know me, Rei-chan_."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Rei was relieved she was in the shower as the water immediately washed away all evidence of her tears. She leaned against the shower stall and pressed her face against the cool surface. The water pattered against her back and bottom, soaking her hair even more. Her tears trickled down the porcelain, leaving a salty path behind.

"Usagi-chan... I want to know you, too..."

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Kaioh Michiru looked on in horror as Usagi's body twitched and then went limp in the grasp of the creature holding her. Her mind was spinning, struggling to understand the gravity of the situation. She stood up, her body trembling, wanting to help… wanting to free the young girl... but stricken with doubt, with fear. Were her powers strong enough? What could she do against something that seemed so powerful?

Beside her, Haruka dropped to the ground, groping about frantically for another good-sized rock. Seizing one, she curled her fingers around it, stood up, and hurtled it with all of her strength. Mizuha shrieked as the rock slammed into her wrists, jarring the grip she had on Usagi. The blonde collapsed onto the ground with a faint moan as the creature swung around to face them, tendrils of crimson sneaking into the blank white of her eyes.

"You dare to interrupt my mission," Mizuha hissed, her voice low and soft. "I will slit your throats and feed your insides to lesser minions for your insolence!"

"Big talk," Haruka mocked, flipping her hand upwards. A bit of breeze exploded out of her fingers, sending Mizuha crashing through the wall. Rocks and other debris fell down on top of her.

"Usagi," Michiru gasped, limping forward. She fell to her knees awkwardly beside the girl. "Usagi? Can you hear me?"

A soft moan escaped the unconscious girl in response, but she didn't open her eyes. Michiru hobbled awkwardly to her feet and gripped Usagi's shoulders, dragging the blonde backwards as the rocks covering Mizuha trembled. The creature burst out of the pile with an ungodly shriek, talons extended to attack to both Michiru and Usagi. A second burst of wind sent her flying backwards a second time, and Haruka stepped forward, her forest green eyes hardened with resolve.

"Michi, take care of Koneko-chan," she said, her face darkened.

"Okay." Michiru nodded, hoping that the fear in her heart wasn't reflected in her eyes. She pulled Usagi back towards a little shelf of rocks, which seemed to offer a little bit of protection from the battle.

"Usagi, can you hear me?" she whispered, kneeling next to the girl. She pulled the blonde's head onto her lap and gently bathed Usagi's forehead. "We need your help. Please. If you can hear me..."

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Kino Makoto looked at the television screen without really seeing it. As one of the characters danced around in a green tutu singing in an off-key voice, she gave a depressed sigh. She had wanted to see this movie for months – it was supposedly a phenomenal film – but she just couldn't seem to get into it tonight. In the last forty minutes, she remembered maybe three minutes of film – and most of that was the opening credits.

Hearing her sigh, Bobby Drake shifted uncomfortably, darting nervous glances at her. He had rented the movie in hopes of having a private moment in the mansion (something generally unheard of) with the girl he had a serious crush on, but it wasn't going nearly as well as he had wanted. After several minutes, he finally sighed himself and reached for the remote, putting the movie on pause.

"Listen, Makoto," he said slowly, stumbling over her name a little from nervousness. "If... If you don't want to be here, than you can leave. I totally understand and I won't hold it against you."

"What?" Makoto looked at him in surprise. "Oh, Bobby, I'm sorry. I'm not being very good company tonight, am I? I..." A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "I do like being here with you, but I feel restless." She paused for a moment. "I feel like... like there's something I forgot to do. I've been trying to remember it all night."

"Oh," Bobby said, leaning back against the couch. His arm, sprawled along the back of the couch, inched downwards. He darted a glance at Makoto's worried features, took a deep breath, and gently laid his arm around her shoulders, praying she wouldn't scream. "Are you worried about that girl that's missing? Usagi? I heard Minako flipped out about it. You were friends with her, right?"

Her emerald eyes growing wide, Makoto turned to him with an excited expression. "Yes, Bobby, that's exactly it!" she said. "You've hit it on the nose. I knew I was worried about her, but not how much." Exaltation vanishing, Makoto dropped her head. "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," said Bobby comfortingly, lightly massaging Makoto's shoulders. "She was with those two teachers, right? Professor Xavier only hires the best. They'll probably show up soon."

"Maybe," Makoto said doubtfully. She remembered how kind Usagi had been to her when they first met, and her stomach churned painfully. "I think I need something to get my mind off of this."

"Like what?" Bobby asked. "Do you want to watch more of the movie?"

"Not quite," she said, a touch of mischief in her eyes, and she leaned up and kissed him softly. He made a shocked sound as their lips met, but he was very agreeable to her means of distraction. Makoto found it more enjoyable than she had guessed, and she only had a few seconds for one last thought as she gave herself over to the unqiue sensations.

'_Good luck, Usagi-chan... please come home to us safely..._'

* * *

"Haruka!" Michiru cried out, unconsciously tightening her grip on Usagi's hand as her partner narrowly escaped a slender blast of dark liquid. Where the liquid landed, the rocks began to sputter and hiss and melt away. "Haruka! Be careful!"

Eyes fluttering, Usagi peered up through the darkness at Michiru's chin. It took a few seconds for comprehension to come to her, and when it did, it came alongside a burning in her neck. Common sense told her that Mizuha had undoubtedly poisoned her. The question was, by how much? She felt extremely weak, to the point where fighting seemed to be unthinkable. But perhaps there was another way...

Summoning her strength, she squeezed Michiru's hand feebly to get her attention. The woman looked down at her, her oceanic eyes wide with surprise. Usagi's lips moved as a slight whisper went into the world, far too faint to be heard. Frowning, Michiru pushed her face down so that it was closer to the girl's lips.

"My locket..." Usagi murmured again. "My locket... I need it."

"Oh..." Pulling back, Michiru released the girl's hand and dug into one of her pockets. She grimaced as Usagi's body put some pressure on her wounded leg when she moved and carefully supported the blonde with her free hand as she searched. "Here."

Weakly, Usagi closed her one of her hands around her locket and shut her eyes. It was so tempting to sink back into sleep, but a scream from Michiru reminded her of her mission. She breathed in deeply, regulating her breaths to the beat of her heart. The crystal began to flash at the same time: slow, pulsating waves of light that warmed Usagi's soul. In her mind, she sank into the depths of her magic and searched for two specfic strands.

They were easy to find. Even in her mind, the turquoise strand gave off the scent of the sea, and the gold strand gave off a comforting breeze. Usagi gripped them in her mind and directed the pulses of the crystal onto them. When the next beat of light appeared, it traveled up the two strands. Both of them lit up with a powerful light.

Michiru gasped in shock as a strong sense of power seized her body. She felt frozen in time as a turquoise glow began to emit from her forehead. The glow, combined with the gold one shining from Haruka, lit up the cave with a light so fierce that Michiru had to look away. When she glanced back, there was an unusual stick of purple, gold and turquoise in front of her. She_ knew_ this stick, and looked at it as eagerly as Haruka looked at the one in front of her.

"Go," Usagi said, her voice louder than before. There was something in the blonde's eyes, a kind of strange weariness and defeat combined with a sense of knowing and desire. "Go, my senshi."

"_Neptune Planet Power..._"

"_Uranus Planet Power..._"

"_Make-UP!_"

* * *

Mizuno Ami stood on the edge of the pool, rolling her shoulders. She placed one arm behind her back and tugged on the opposite, slowly stretching her limbs. Her toes curled over the edge, and she breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of chlorine. The pool at the Xavier Institute was bigger and deeper than she had imagined, but it was perfect for her. She thought best when she was surrounded by water.

Taking a deep breath, the slender girl leapt off of the edge. Her form arched gracefully, slicing into the water with only a hint of a splash. She kicked her feet, swimming deeper into the pool, enjoying the way the liquid distorted the shadows on the wall from the lights above. Her hand brushed against the bottom of the pool and she laid down, stretching her body out.

The urge to breathe piqued at her thoughts, and she opened her mouth. Water poured into her throat, sinking deep into her chest. Ami closed her eyes, a tiny smile tugging at her lips, as she exhaled, spitting the water back out. The taste of chlorine was tangy in her mouth, and she made a little face, wishing she were in a fresh water pond instead. But beggers couldn't be choosers, and she looked up at the shimmering world above with a contented gaze.

Even though her powers mainly concentrated on ice, Ami had been able to breathe underwater for as long as she could remember. It was an intriguing fact, since biologically, normal humans weren't set up that way, but something about her body allowed her to do that. She could also remain underwater for weeks at a time without suffering the normal consequences. Those were two unique aspects of her mutation that she was relieved to have. It was wonderful to have a place where she could go without worrying about being disturbed.

Unfortunately, being beneath the water wasn't putting her concerns to rest. She had hoped to leave them behind on the surface, but it wasn't working. For the first time in her life, swimming wasn't fun, and it was with a heavy heart that she pushed off of the bottom of the pool and swam towards the surface. The lights grew brighter the higher she got until she emerged unexpectedly, flinging her hair back dramatically.

Paddling towards the side of the pool, Ami sighed listlessly. She couldn't help thinking about that poor girl who was missing. Usagi had been so kind to both her and Makoto, and Ami feared a great deal for the girl's safety. She had even done some research on the spot where Usagi had disappeared, but she hadn't come up with anything helpful. The whole area was a maze of underground caves that branched off in a dozen different directions. To search even one would take days that no one had.

Wrapping her fingers around the cold metal of the steps, Ami put her foot on the step and started to heave her body upwards. She glanced up and stopped, surprised by the sudden appearance of a gloved hand. Her curious eyes ran up a well-toned arm into twinkling crimson eyes and a warm smile.

"Hello, cherie," the man said, his voice touched with laughter. "Can Gambit give you a hand?"

"Oh, thank you," Ami said after a moment of staring. She placed her hand into the man's and was pulled easily from the water. It occurred to her that, despite his relatively thin frame, this man must be fairly strong. "Thank you," she repeated, blushing self consciously. "I'm Ami."

"I am Remy Lebeau," the man, kissing the back of her hand. "But known to most as Gambit. I was lookin' for the professor or Marie when I saw you."

She watched him leave, his brown trenchcoat billowing out around his form, and walked over to one of the lawn chairs. Picking up a towel, she draped it over her head as she sat down and sighed. It figured that the one cute guy she had met in a long time would be interested in someone else. He certainly sounded "taken" from the way he said Rogue's name.

"Just my luck," she grumbled, rubbing the towel through her dark curls. Now that Gambit was gone, her mind had gone straight back to her previous concern. "Usagi... I hope you make it out of there okay..."

* * *

As the light in the room in died away, leaving Mizuha cursing under her breath, Sailor Neptune stood still for a few seconds with her eyes closed. It was all tumbling into her mind and clicking into place, coming together like the addition of the one missing puzzle piece that causes it to all make sense. She opened her eyes slowly and looked down at her gloved hands. Just beyond, she saw Usagi, who had passed out for a second time, and a slow anger surfaced in her body.

"_Neptune... Deep... SubMERGE!_" she yelled, the familiar threads of liquid forming around her hands. The ball of water scored a direct hit, accompanied by an agonized shriek of pain.

"_Uranus... World... ShakING!_" Sailor Uranus shouted at the same time, slamming the golden ball into the ground. The ground around Mizuha exploded as waves of amber passed across the skin of the screaming creature.

Clenching her fists, Sailor Uranus spread her legs slightly, ready to keep fighting. With her transformation, the pain in her arm had completely vanished. A quick glance over her shoulder showed that Sailor Neptune was balancing easily, with no sign of the limp that had been crippling her minutes before. The two women shared a smile, their happiness flowing between them. It felt good to be back.

Mizuha had staggered back to her feet. Her eyes were now entirely crimson, and blood was beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "You meddlesome little brats," she swore. "You couldn't just allow me to finish off that princess without interference. I'll kill you as well for interfering."

"Old promises," Uranus said, smirking. She tried to summon her Space Sword, holding her hand out for it. To her shock, nothing happened. Staring at her empty hand in dismay, Uranus turned to Neptune, who wore a similar look of distress. Mizuha was too powerful to destroy with their weaker attacks, and neither could summon their talismans. This was bad.

"Something wrong?" Mizuha purred, picking up on their emotions. She raised her hands into the air. "Prepare to die, senshi of the White Moon!"

Hardly before Mizuha finished speaking, a wisp of pale pink light appeared around her left ankle, and then her right anklet. Two more flickered around her wrists, jerking her hands apart. The pale light began to flow down and up, meeting up in the middle of Mizuha's body, right in the center of her chests. Howls and shrieks that hurt their ears escaped the creature as she struggled, trying to get free. It was no use; the light froze her in place, until finally even her lips were sealed.

When she couldn't move at all, thin white lines began to appear in the light, as if it were something sold that was cracking apart. That proved to be exactly what was happening – more and more lines appeared with a soft ringing sound, until finally, it shattered into millions of pieces, taking Mizuha's body with it. Where the creature had once stood was nothing but a fine, silvery dust.

Uranus looked at the space where Mizuha had been in awe, then turned around to look for her princess. Usagi lay where Neptune had placed her, eyes closed and breathing regular, if somewhat faint. Brow furrowed in bewilderment as she tried to figure out where the light had come from, Uranus wasn't prepared when Neptune gasped in surprise. She spun around a second time, her own jaw dropping in shock.

"_You_!" she exclaimed.

* * *

So, it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but I promise you that it won't take me as long this time. Please review, it really helps! Ciao!


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** I have to say, I'm happy that you didn't give up on me, everyone. Here is a brand new update (which would have come sooner if my computer wasn't being a butthole, but oh well). No one guessed right as to whom the person was. I thought perhaps the pink light would be enough of a clue, but apparently not. I hope the person it really is, is better than who you all imagined!

* * *

Looking perfectly innocent and far too adorable in a minature sailor fuku that seemed different than before, Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon blinked up at Uranus and smiled cutely. Her pale blue eyes glistened in the dim light, and her dark pink hair bounced around her cheeks as she hopped off of a rock and ran over to the unconscious Usagi. She knelt next to the girl and touched her hand, beaming.

"Chibi-Chibi's Chibi!" she said happily in her babyish voice, giving the two startled women behind her an expectant look.

"Chibi Chibi Moon?" Sailor Neptune said, sounding dazed. She looked from the child to the place where Mizuha had been. "What are you doing here?"

"Chibi?" Chibi Chibi Moon blinked at them, tilting her head to the side as if she didn't understand. "Chibi!" Jumping up, she ran over to the hole in the wall, beckoning them with her chubby fingers. "Chibi chibi, chibi!"

"You want us to follow you?" Uranus asked wryly. A bright smile and a cheerful giggle was her answer, and the blonde senshi sighed. "Okay. But you better know where we're going."

Moving over to Usagi, Uranus knelt beside the girl and gently slipped one of her arms beneath Usagi's knees and one of her arms around the younger girl's back. She lifted, cradling the smaller girl against her, and turned towards Neptune. "We've got nothing to lose," she said.

Neptune nodded, one hand gingerly rubbing her forehead. "I guess not," she agreed, moving towards Chibi Chibi Moon. She picked her way over the rocks and waited for Uranus, steadying her partner when the senshi stumbled.

Chibi Chibi Moon turned around, leading them forward. Neptune took the moment to steady the child's fuku with a quizzical expression. Before, Chibi Chibi Moon's fuku had looked very similar to some of the fuku's Sailor Moon had had in the past. Now, the child's main colors were silver and dark blue, with a dark blue skirt and long silver bows. Her tiny boots were dark blue with silver trim, and her gloves and tiara were both silver (the latter with a tiny pink star in the middle).

"She looks so different," Neptune muttered, hardly aware she was speaking out loud. She glanced at Uranus. "Do you think she's a different senshi now?"

"Maybe," Uranus said uncertainly. "I don't see how." She glanced down at the girl in her arms as she spoke. There was a million questions swirling around in her mind that she wanted to ask. Why had Usagi kept their powers a secret? Why hadn't she just told them what was going on, especially when Slater showed up? Why couldn't they summon their talismans?

'_Why did you keep all of this bottled up inside?_' Uranus asked silently, and realized that she could see Usagi's face and hair without any trouble. She looked up with a start, realizing that the group had been walking on a slight incline for several minutes. It was gradually getting brighter in the cave, and she could hear an odd sort of soft ringing sound, and just ahead she could see a round beam of light with a shadow inside of it.

Stepping forward, Neptune brought her hands up, ready to attack whomever was waiting for them. But then the shadow came towards them, and they could see that 'it' was really a girl. She looked to be about a year older than they were, and she was smiling in a tentative manner. Her hair, a fiery red that gradually changed to a golden yellow at her shoulders, was pulled back into a very long braid that nearly brushed the ground. Her eyes were a bright, cat-like shade of gold that sparkled in the bright light. She was dressed very simply in a red sundress that fit tightly at the waist and then flared out.

"_Galaxia_?" Neptune exclaimed in shock, squinting at the woman.

"Don't forget about me," a small voice piped up. A tiny kitten stood up on the girl's head. It was a pale, greyish lavender in color, small enough to sit in the palm of a hand. Enormous, twinkling crimson eyes looked down at the group. Around its neck was a brown collar with a tiny silver bell that was the source of the twinkling.

"_Diana_?" Uranus said, too stunned to feel fresh surprise. "What... is going _on_?"

* * *

Buried deep beneath her covers, Minako didn't bother to lift her head when the door of her room opened. Her roommate, a younger girl about Hotaru's age, had the tendency to be forgetful. Besides that, she was exhausted from staying up so late worrying. She had finally crashed from sheer fatigue, but her sleep hadn't been restful. It was mostly filled with nightmarish dreams.

When the bomb landed, it came totally by surprise, for the only warning had been excited whispers and then running footsteps. A startled yelp was rudely pushed out of her as Chibi-Usa landed unceremoniously on her stomach, yelling her name. She sat up, nearly sending Chibi-Usa toppling off the bed, and just barely managed to grab the child before she hit the floor.

"What did you say?" Minako said, still half asleep. She rubbed one of her eyes and squinted, only able to make out blurry shapes and colors. "What time is it? What's wrong?"

"They found them, Aunt Minako!" Chibi-Usa cried joyfully, her eyes shining. She threw her arms around Minako's neck. "Mama and Aunt Michiru and Uncle Haruka are coming home! Soon!"

"They found them?" Minako gasped, her eyes growing wide. A strong sense of relief rushed through her body and she was instantly awake. "Where? Are they alright?"

"They're fine," Hotaru said reassuringly, seating herself on the edge of the bed. Her violet eyes were shining with relief. "Professor Xavier said Usagi-mama is a little banged up, but that's it, and that it's probably because of the accident. Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama are both fine. There's someone else with them, too..."

Minako looked at the child in astonishment. "Did you say 'Usagi-mama'?"

"I gave her our memories," Chibi-Usa said loudly, pulling back. "You know it was right, Aunt Minako."

Not bothering to argue something she wouldn't win anyway, Minako pushed Chibi-Usa aside and leapt off of the bed, hurrying over to the closet. She disappeared inside and, seconds later, her nightdress came flying out. It landed on the floor near the bed. Minako herself emerged soon after, wearing a jean skirt, a bikini top, and a button-up shirt with the ends tied up in a knot. In her hand she held a pair of black sandals.

"Come on," she instructed her nieces, dropping her shoes on the floor and stepping into them. The three of them raced out the door, heading quickly towards the main staircase. The door of the mansion was open, and through it, Minako could see a car that had pulled up to the mansion. She took the stairs three at a time and flew out the door.

"Usagi-chan!" Feeling dizzy with relief, Minako ran to her friend, but she stopped suddenly about a foot away with her arms outstretched. She hesitated, cautioned by the deep weariness in the pale blue eyes and the stooped way in which the other girl stood. "Are you.. okay?"

"Uhn." Usagi looked up and smiled. "I'm okay."

Minako approached her and wrapped her arms around Usagi carefully, as if fearing that the other blonde would break. Usagi buried her head in Minako's shoulder, quivering with the urge to break down into tears. Everything had been happening way too fast, and for a moment it felt good to just be comforted. It was short-lived, for she soon felt a small hand curl around her torn shirt, tugging timidly. Minako's arms dropped away and Usagi turned around to see Chibi-Usa standing right behind her.

The second Usagi turned, Chibi-Usa threw herself at her mother. Usagi scooped the younger girl up, but she quickly realized she wasn't strong enough to support both of them. She fell to her knees and held on as tightly as she could. Part of her could admit only then that, while trapped in the cave, she had shortly feared that she wouldn't hug Chibi-Usa ever again.

Over Chibi-Usa's shoulder, she caught sight of Hotaru. The young girl was hanging back, her hands shyly clasped behind her. She darted nervous looks from Usagi to Haruka and Michiru and then back again, before looking down at the ground. A faint blush creased her cheeks and she sighed, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, and then Usagi knew for sure, even before she felt the faintest wave of power.

"Hotaru-chan," she said, and the child looked up at her, surprise clear in the pale violet eyes. Usagi shifted Chibi-Usa to her left arm and held her right hand out to Hotaru, who hesitated. "It's okay."

There was a moment's hesitation, and then Hotaru came quickly towards her, fallling into the embrace. Usagi held on to the two children, burrowing her nose into Chibi-Usa's silky hair, and felt a slight weight drop off of her shoulders. She drew back at last, smiling at both of the girls, and straightened, feeling her back protest with a deep ache. Haruka and Michiru were both looking at Hotaru, while Minako was staring with an open mouth at Galaxia and Diana and Chibi Chibi.

"I'm sorry to break up your reunion, but I must insist you follow me to the infirmary," Dr. McCoy said, sounding slightly awkward. He gestured to the girls from his position beside Professor Xavier. "All of you were in a car accident, and could have injuries."

Usagi went willingly, after a final squeeze to Chibi-Usa and Hotaru, following the man into the depths of the Institute. She entered the familiar room and sat down on the bed Dr. McCoy indicated her towards. He followed her over, drawing the curtains around her bed, and started to examine her, listening to her heart, feeling her arms and legs for broken or fractured bones, and examining any points of soreness on her body.

"I think you'll live," he said after several minutes, and smiled when she giggled a little. "You are in much better shape than I anticipated, although undoubtedly your mutant powers have kicked in already. You'll have a few aches and bruises, but you can leave without worry."

She fled the room without waiting for Haruka or Michiru, quickly hurrying towards the elevator. The doors opened on the second floor, and she headed straight for her room, shucking her clothing off the second she was inside. It was a relief to jump inside the shower and turn it on as hot as possible. The sound of the water on the tile made her twitch, and she tried to ignore it as she scrubbed her hair and skin clean.

It was entirely possible that she would have stayed in the humid warmth forever, had it not been for the pounding on the door. Usagi took one last long, slow turn underneath the water before she reluctantly turned the shower off and pulled the curtain open, releasing a cloud of steam into the room as Minako poked her head in, then entered holding two pink towels, looking bewildered.

"Usagi, what are they doing here?" she said to her cousin, extending the towels and wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"I'm not sure," Usagi said honestly, wrapping one of the towels around her body and using the other to dry her hair. "As soon as I'm dressed, I'm going to find out."

She brushed her hair until it shone and carefully tied it up as she related the events of the accident to Minako. It felt good to tell her cousin what had happened. Minako gasped and made concerned sounds in all the right places, looking at her friend with a great deal of sympathy. It was easy to tell that it had left a great toll on Usagi.

"Maybe you should sleep for a while..." Minako suggested.

"I can't. I need to see Shingo and Galaxia and Chibi Chibi," Usagi replied, pulling some clothing out of the closet. "Come on, let's go track them down."

The two girls left their room and stood in the hallway for a moment, trying to decide where the first place to look should be. Minako checked the orange plastic watch she wore on her wrist, and then pulled an apologetic face. "I was supposed to do something with Kurt," she said, and then looked at her friend tentatively. "But, I can cancel it."

"No way," Usagi said, raising her eyebrows with interest at the mention of this new development. "I can find them on my own. They can't have gone very far." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and hurried down the stairs, heading towards the rooms where everyone hung out.

Shingo was inside the room, playing some sort of racing car game against a girl with long green hair. She was laughing victoriously and Shingo was swearing in response as he jerked the controller around. Usagi, peeking around the door, smiled to herself. She was happy that Shingo seemed to be fitting in so well, because she hadn't had much time to spend with her little brother since they had come to the Institute.

Actually, before time had retracted itself, her relationship with her brother had been pretty much non-existent due to the requirements that being a senshi took. Usagi was saddened to realize that now that her senshi duties were coming to life again, the same thing would happen all over again. She just needed more then twenty-fours in a day to get done all of the things she wanted to do.

"Too bad Setsuna can't do that for me," Usagi said under her breath. She waved to Shingo when he looked up, smiling when he put the game on pause and jumped up and ran over to her.

"Onee-chan!" he cried, and she started in surprise, because he had not called her that since he was a toddler. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she told him, and that was true. Her injuries were completely healed, although she was still very tired. "I'm sorry I worried everyone so much."

Shingo looked at her sideways for a moment. "Idiot Usagi, did you do something to get yourself and those teachers in trouble?"

Usagi slapped her brother upside the head. "Yes, it's my goal in life to cause trouble for everyone," she declared, and then yanked him close, pinning his head with her arm while she messed up his hair. "You'd better be careful, or I'll start doing it to you!"

"Yeah right," Shingo groused, squirming away from her. "You'd have to catch me first."

"Sounds like a challenge I might take you up one day," she smirked. "I'll let you go back to your game." She deliberately flicked her eyes past him to where the girl was standing, waiting for him. "I just came to let you know I was okay."

"Okay," he muttered, a light blush appearing on his cheeks. When she turned to leave, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her quickly from behind. She froze in shock, but before she could even begin to react, he had pulled away and run back into the room. Usagi stared at him for a moment as her brother threw himself down on a beanbag chair and grabbed his controller, then smiled to herself.

She continued on down the hall, wondering where Galaxia had gone, and after a thorough search of the first floor, decided to take the stairs up to the second floor and keep looking. The woman had to be around somewhere. It took her a while to catch on to the fact that she was being followed, and when she turned around to see, she saw twinkling blue eyes staring back at her, framed with dark pink curls.

"Chibi Chibi!" Usagi said happily, holding her arms out to the child. Chibi Chibi ran to her and clung to her, making soft sounds of contentment. Usagi held the small girl close and kissed her on the top of her head. She had almost forgotten how comforting it was to hold Chibi Chibi. The child had given her a lot of strength when she had needed it the most.

"I don't suppose you know where Galaxia is," said the blonde, rising to her feet. She hoisted Chibi Chibi onto her hip and held on to the child with one arm, not really expecting an answer. Usagi resumed climbing the stairs, mounting them quickly. At the top, she set off in a random direction, checking each room for the woman she was searching for. No matter how many rooms she looked in, she failed to find her, and after half an hour, she was getting impatient. Her arms were throbbing from holding Chibi Chibi for so long.

"Where _is_ she?" Usagi said, frustrated. She found herself near the professor's room and decided to knock to see if he could direct her to where Galaxia was. There was no answer when she tapped on the door, but it swung open, revealing a dark and empty interior. Stepping inside, she walked over to one of the chairs and put Chibi Chibi down on the soft covers, planning to wait until Professor Xavier returned.

"Chibi, Chibi," Chibi Chibi said, wriggling down off of the chair. She ran over to the balcony windows and put her hands on them, banging on the glass with an excited squeal. "Chibi! Chibi! Chibi!"

"Chibi Chibi, stop that!" Usagi exclaimed, hurrying over to the child. She caught Chibi Chibi's hands in her own. "Those aren't our doors. You'll damage them."

"Chibi Chibi, door, Chibi!" Chibi Chibi cried, struggling to pull free.

Loosing her patience, Usagi grabbed the small child around the waist and lifted Chibi Chibi into her arms to keep her from damaging the glass. She stood up, fumbling to keep a grip on the squirming child, and caught a flash of gold out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw Galaxia standing on the ground outside. The woman had her back to the house, staring up at the sky.

"Ha, there you are," muttered Usagi, successfully pinning Chibi Chibi under one arm. She hurried out of the room and down the stairs, heading for the exit of the mansion.

Outside, she set Chibi Chibi down and walked towards Galaxia. Her feet sank into the cool, dew-covered grass as she approached and she belatedly realized that she had forgotten to put on shoes. Halting a few feet from Galaxia, she looked at the woman's back inquisitively. Haruka and Michiru had briefly told her what happened, and she didn't understand why Galaxia had returned. Had something gone wrong?

"It's so peaceful," Galaxia murmured suddenly.

"What?" Usagi asked, startled.

"Your planet. It's so peaceful and calm. I love it here," Galaxia whispered, spreading her arms. "But... I suppose it's not time for that now. I imagine you are wondering why I have returned."

"Just a little," the blonde said, a touch sheepishly.

"After your power purged me of the entity called Chaos, my starseed returned to my body," Galaxia began. "But Chibi Chibi did not disappear. By this time, she had lived apart from me for enough time that she was her own being, separate from me." Galaxia placed a hand lightly on her breast. "Although she remained a corporeal being, there was no longer a starseed to sustain her body. Because of this, she began to fade away very quickly. In the last few minutes of her life, I helped her reach out to a shining starseed and bond with it. The power of that starseed keeps Chibi Chibi alive today. That starseed was yours, Serenity."

Usagi was silent for a few seconds, mulling this new information over in her head. On the one hand, she couldn't exactly say she was completely surprised. It was _always_ her, and had it been anyone else, it would have been truly shocking. The ginzuishou had more than enough power to keep both Chibi-Usa and Chibi Chibi alive, and as the days passed and the girls' own powers became stronger, it would only become easier. And she did already have Chibi-Usa to deal with, so it wasn't like Chibi Chibi would be much of a bother.

"Still, that's it," she muttered to herself, lifting her face into the breeze. "I'm not having any more kids until I've got a wedding band on my finger."

"What?" Galaxia turned to look at her in puzzlement. The woman's pale golden eyes were filled with concern. "Serenity, I know it is a terrible burden..."

"Oh, not as much as you might think," Usagi said slowly, twirling a few strands of her blonde hair around her finger as she thought hard. "I've already got one daughter. One more won't make much difference. Galaxia, do you want to stay here on Earth with us for a while?"

"Stay?" Galaxia's eyes widened at the abrupt change in subject. "Oh, I couldn't. Not after what I've done. I just came to drop Chibi Chibi off..."

"She'll miss you terribly," Usagi said quietly, taking a chance. She reached out and placed her hand on Galaxia's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself for what you did under the influence of Chaos. If you are interested in staying here with us for even a little while, I think we would all enjoy having you here."

"I would like to stay for a short time," Galaxia said softly. "Before I must return to my duties as a senshi."

"Than, by all means, please do." Usagi squeezed the woman's shoulder before she released it. "Would you mind watching Chibi Chibi for a while?" she asked.

"Not at all," Galaxia said. "Thank you, Serenity."

Usagi smiled. "Please just call me Usagi, Galaxia." She hurried away for the second time that day without waiting for a response, heading for the fountain where she had wept for her mother only a few weeks before. Galaxia watched her go, a faint smile on her face.

"Thank you, Usagi," she whispered.

* * *

So, there you have it! Please leave me a review on your way out. Ciao!


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** I'm glad everyone seemed to be happy when it comes to Chibi Chibi's appearance. I really like the little imp, and so I always try to find a way to bring her back into my stories. Most of you asked how Logan would be handling the situation. I wasn't quite sure how he would, to be honest. I don't even think _he_ knows how to handle it! So I can only hope that what I did, you feel did him justice.

* * *

Usagi found her way to the fountain with ease. She seated herself on the edge and stuck her fingers into the cold water, trailing her hand around. The fish in the pond scattered away from her, fearful of her fingers, and she giggled, pulling her hand out and shaking the water off of it. The night air was warm, and it had felt good to have the liquid on her skin for a few seconds. She wished the breeze would pick up.

Pulling her feet over the side, she slipped them into the water and reached up to her odango. Sometimes the hairstyle had the annoying tendency to give her a headache; generally, it was when she had tied them too tightly. She could already feel the beginnings of throbbing in her temples and did not like the idea of suffering a headache all night. Her questing fingers found the pins she used to help hold the shape of the odangos and pulled them free. Her hair fell down around her shoulders, pooling on the grass behind her.

"That's better," she sighed to herself, running her fingers through her hair to get rid of the impressions left from her odango. She looked down at the water for a moment and then back up. "You can come out now."

There was a beat of silence, and then Logan stealthily emerged from the shadows of the trees a short distance away. He did not appear to be surprised that she had known he was there. It had not taken long for Logan to realize there was more to this girl than met the eye, and he was wary, cautious. There was something about her that made it all to easy for her to draw him in, and that made him nervous.

"That was some arrival," he said. His words come out more mocking than he had intended, and she flushed, her cheeks staining pale pink.

"Indeed," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I expect you heard me talking to Galaxia."

He inclined his head slightly, letting her know that she was correct. "Who are you?" he asked, looking her straight in the eyes. She was not a normal teenager, not even a normal mutant teenager, if there was such a thing.

Usagi released her breath in a long sigh. "That is a story that is longer than the night," she said flatly, dipping her fingers into the water again. "I'm not normal, Logan."

He simply looked at her, waiting, and after a moment, she turned around to look at him. Her eyes were unusually serious as she stood up, unfolding her body with grace. With her golden hair down around her shoulders, reaching almost to her ankles, she looked ethereal. Only the casual outfit she had on seemed to tie her to Earth, and for the first time, he noticed the pale crescent moon on her forehead.

Their eyes met. The symbol on her forehead began to glow, dimly at first, but then brighter and brighter, until it was so strong that his eyes throbbed in pain. He refused to look away, however, and was left with bright spots when the light suddenly disappeared. As he blinked rapidly, his healing power kicked in, and within a few seconds, he was able to see her clearly. His jaw dropped.

She had grown a good three or four inches, and her somewhat girlish body had filled out to its more womanly state. Her hair, now a replescent shade of silver, was long enough that several inches rested on the dew-covered grass around her. She was clothed in a simple but fitting white sundress. Around both of her wrists was a silver chain. On her hair rested a very delicate white gold tiara, and around her neck was a crystal that pulsated with light. Her face had lost its baby fat, finally suiting the serious blue-silver eyes that seemed to ensnare his soul.

"This is me," Usagi said, spreading her arms slightly. There was a hint of a smile on her lips. "The little girl you know is an illusion. She has not existed for many years now. I will tell you how I came to be, if you wish to hear it."

Logan stepped closer to her, abruptly more aware than ever of the moon so high above. "I will listen."

Seating herself on the fountain, she beckoned him to sit down beside her. He found he could breath more easily when she was not looking at him with a bottomless gaze, and sat, feeling strange and a bit silly. A sweet wind blew past them, and she breathed in along with its approach. Her hand touched his, silky and smooth, and he allowed her to slip her fingers into his. She was gazing up at the moon when she finally spoke.

"It all began, over a thousand years ago..."

* * *

High above Usagi and Logan, Aino Minako leaned against the railing of the professor's balcony and smiled to herself with no small amount of satisfaction. It still took her breath away to see Usagi's true self, but that was swept away by the amusement of seeing Logan struggle to remain composed. If she tilted her head and listened, she could hear the familiar story that Usagi was telling, but she didn't want to impose. She had seen this happening from the beginning and was quite smug with herself that her predictions were coming true.

"I've still got it," she chuckled to herself, turning her back to the pair below. She closed her eyes and leaned back, smiling. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't get to be in her _own_ real form for a little while, but she knew that that would be dangerous when the other senshi hadn't remembered yet.

"Oh, well," she murmured, and opened her eyes. A scream unwittingly escaped her when she saw glowing eyes less than an inch away from her, and she leaped backwards, stumbling against the railing behind her. Her transformation phrase was halfway spoken before a warm, soft hand brushed her arm, and she snapped around, getting a better look at who had startled her so badly.

"Kurt!" Minako hollered once she had caught on. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You scared me half to death! I could have killed you!"

The mischevious boy smiled a little, showing off a bit of his fangs as he gained a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, Mina," he apologized. "I was just trying to get your attention. You seemed to be very far away."

Minako placed one hand over her pounding heart and shot him an annoyed look, but she had softened on the inside. "You imp," she said, half scolding him. "Don't sneak up on people like that."

"Would you have preferred I did this?" Kurt asked, grinning. Before she could move, he leaned forward and embraced her. A strange, dizzying feeling of moving very quickly yet not moving at all raced through Minako, and then the strong scent of sulfur made her sneeze. She leaned against him for a moment, feeling weak as her senses struggled to catch up with this sudden change.

Kurt gently helped the girl to sit down, well aware that his _bamf_ing sometimes had this effect on people, and allowed her to lean against him. He took the chance to slip his arm around her shoulders, breathing in the scent of her mango shampoo. It had been a long time since he had been close to anyone: he had not had another girlfriend since his previous one moved unexpectedly with her family. It felt good to be near someone again, and he hoped that she would enjoy it as well.

Opening her eyes finally, Minako glared at him. "That was _not_ funny," she said, poking him in the side. "That was – oh!" Her angry words were cut off suddenly when she caught sight of the amazing scenery in front of her. He had _bamf_ed them to the opposite side of the school's woods, where there was a bit of a cliff. Seated as they were in a tree at the edge of the cliff, it felt like the entire world fell away below them.

Even though she had been lying to Usagi earlier about having a date with Kurt, Minako found herself to be immeasureably happy that it hadn't turned out to be a lie after all. She turned to Kurt with glowing eyes, the sapphire blue color practically sparkling with her joy. "This is _beautiful_," she gushed.

Kurt flushed slightly when faced with the beaming face of the girl beside him, and was suddenly very glad for the deep blue fur that covered it. Nervousness pinched him inside and he swallowed hard. "Mina?"

"Yes?" she asked, leaning forward a little. She had no fear of being so high up – not only would she survive the fall, she knew that Kurt would catch her before she hit the ground.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

The question hung in the air for a few moments. Minako looked at him with a shocked expression, having not expected the question at all. But it delighted her, she realized with a growing smile. For a long time, she had thought she would never find true love. Perhaps here was a chance at it finally, with an adorable boy who liked her for just being Minako, and nothing more, and who she was finding she liked a lot in return.

"Yes, Kurt," she said, blushing a little. "I would love to be your girlfriend."

His golden eyes lit up, and she found herself smiling brightly in return as she tilted her head up expectantly. He leaned down and kissed her somewhat hesitantly. Minako kissed him back and then pulled away, burrowing herself into his embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, perfectly content. Kurt placed his head on her hair and stared at out at his favorite view, hardly able to believe that the last few minutes had actually happened.

* * *

"Alright, Diana, I want to know what's going on," Chibi-Usa said, looking the small kitten square in the eyes. "Where did Galaxia and Chibi Chibi come from, and where are Luna and Artemis?"

Diana smiled slightly, her tail flicking behind her. "Curiosity isn't a very good trait for a princess," she said, and then had to leap for the safety of Hotaru's arms to avoid the pillow that was chucked at her. "Violence is an even worse one!"

"Yeah, yeah," Chibi-Usa grumbled, retrieving her pillow from the floor.

Hotaru laughed softly, her pretty amethyst eyes twinkling. "Come on, Diana, I'm curious to know, too," she confessed. "What's up?"

"We've been at the Gates of Time all this time," the kitten said promptly, needing no further urging. "Mama and Papa were monitoring it to make sure nothing came through without permission, with the help of Sailor Time."

"Who?" Hotaru asked, confused.

"So where are they now?" Chibi-Usa said at the same time.

"Sailor Time is Sailor Pluto's younger sibling," Diana answered. "And, I'm not sure where Mama and Papa are. When they sensed the arrival of Galaxia into the atmosphere, I was sent to make sure that everything was alright. Galaxia told me that she had come to deliver Chibi Chibi to Usagi, and I knew you were here, so I decided to tag along. Mama and Papa might be at the Time Gates still, but I'm not sure."

"Setsuna-mama has a younger sister?" Hotaru said, looking shocked. "How come she hasn't mentioned her before?"

"Sailor Pluto's little sister, not Setsuna's," Chibi-Usa replied instead. "They were sisters during the Silver Millennium. Mommy told me that Setsuna got assigned the Time Gates because she was the oldest, and Syra would have been the one to run the actual kingdom." She wrinkled her nose for a moment, and then added, "I think it will be different now. Syra – that's her name – got re-born during this time, too. If she can sense the Time Gates the way Puu can, than maybe Puu won't have to go back to watching over them all the time."

"Oooh," Hotaru murmured, absorbing this information slowly and mulling it over. She had never realized her foster-mother had a sister, and now that she knew, she wished she could meet her. But just then, they had more important things to worry about, and Hotaru looked askance at Diana again. "Chibi Chibi is staying here?"

"I guess," Diana said, shrugging to the best of her abilities. The small bell around her neck tinkled with the movement. "That's what Galaxia said."

"Guess that means I get a new little sister," Chibi-Usa said doubtfully, missing the speculative looks Hotaru and Diana gave her. She would have to think about this carefully for a while, because she wasn't sure she was completely ready to share Usagi. It had only been a little while since she had had her mother all to herself the way she wanted it, and she didn't know if she ready for that to end.

* * *

Meioh Setsuna settled back against her reclining chair, observing the groups of playing students in front of her. She felt calm... peaceful... and like she had forgotten something very important. A slight sulk settled over the woman's face. She really detested constantly feeling as if there was some thing she had not done, and yet, no matter what she did, the feeling lingered. It was frustrating.

"Are you still worried?" a gentle voice asked, and she turned her head to meet the warm, dark blue eyes of her fiance. "Whatever it is, it will keep until you think of it, Set."

"Maybe, maybe not," she answered diplomatically, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze that had sprung up against her tanned skin. It was night time, but the rules of the mansion seemed to have been temporarily abandoned. At the very least, she had nowhere near the amount of energy she would need to drag a bunch of children inside to bed, and the other teachers seeemd to feel the same way.

"I know you will," he said, and reached out to take her hand. Setsuna felt the same frisson of delight that she always did when he touched her. "You just worry too much. Relax a little. I worry about your health, when you fret like this."

"I'm sorry," Setsuna said, feeling strangely touched at his words. She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes, turning her face up towards the full moon.

Mamoru smiled at her and settled back in his chair as well, holding her hand gently in his. Words couldn't express how wonderful she made him feel. It was unbridled emotion to be with her, to make her smile, to know that he was lighting up her life a little. In return, she brought depth and warmth into his in a way that he didn't know how to replicate. They fulfilled each other's needs, and in that way, he loved her like he had never loved anyone or anything else.

Seized by this thought, he leaned over and kissed her suddenly. She looked startled, giving him an odd look. He simply smiled and kissed her again, gently running his fingers through her long emerald hair. Although she still remained confused as to this sudden show of emotion, Setsuna did not protest, and eagerly returned his kisses before the children noticed.

* * *

"Keep your fingers out of my batter!" Makoto scolded for the sixth time, swatting Bobby's hands away from her bowl. She held the steel container protectively against her chest with her left hand, stirring vigorously with her right.

"But it's just so tasty!" Bobby protested, pouting a little. He eyed the batter. "It's calling my name."

"Than don't listen," she said, pointedly turning away. Makoto set the bowl on the counter and reach up for the cupcake tins she had prepared earlier. She began scooping the thick mixture out of the bowl and into each little compartment. "If I run out of batter, so help me..."

"You'll what?" he asked, looking at her with an innocent expression. "Kiss me?"

"You wish," Makoto snickered. She set the spoon down in the empty bowl and opened the oven. The Institute had a much larger kitchen than she was used to, including extra big oven space, so she was able to cook all of her cupcakes at once. "Here, you can lick the bowl if you want to."

"Okay," he said, and there was an air of innocence about him that Makoto didn't realize until it was too late. "But I'd rather lick you."

"Bobby!" she yelped as he smeared chocolate all over her cheeks. "You jerk!"

He laughed, holding his hands up to protect himself as she came at him with the flour. "Now who's the one wasting ingredients?"

Makoto stuck her tongue out angrily and turned away to find support. She found it in the form of her best friend, who was seated at the kitchen table, sipping from a glass of milk and buried in a book she'd borrowed from the professor. Ami hadn't even noticed when Makoto and Bobby had begun their mock fight. The book she had found on the history of mutants was positively fascinating to her.

"Ami," Makoto whined, grabbing her friend's arm. "You said you were going to help me."

"I'm sorry, Mako-chan," Ami said. She looked up, and her deep blue eyes were just a little bit too knowing. "I figured you had it under control. Besides, this book is really interesting."

"Mmm," said Makoto non-committedly. Having read books that Ami had considered scintillating in the past, she knew that their tastes weren't always identical. It was usually far from it, and she usually felt lost and overwhelmed even flipping through a thick book like that.

"But I will leave you to clean up," Ami said, laughing. She picked up her glass and stood up, tucking the book under her arm. "I wouldn't want to deprive you of that experience."

"Thanks," Bobby said, rolling his eyes. He smirked at Makoto when she glowered at him again as Ami left the room, shaking her head.

Although she would never have begrudged her friends their happiness, the truth of the matter was that Ami was lonely. All of her friends seemed to be finding guys who suited them, and she didn't know anyone who was available. Gambit had occasionally wandered across her mind at times, but she had done her best to not think of him. He was clearly very interested in Rogue, if something wasn't happening between them already.

It was hard for her to be around her friends and their boyfriends, and so she had been avoiding people a little lately. She knew on an intellectual matter that it was stupid and silly to be jealous, but that didn't stop her from feeling that way, anyhow. Sighing, she paused by a window and looked out. Below her, she could see the younger students of the mansion outside playing.

"I wish I could find someone," Ami said quietly. "I really wish I would."

* * *

Haruka flicked slowly through the car magazine, her forest green eyes perusing every single ad in a blink. She was searching for a new car to replace the one she had lost in the fall, but it was a lengthy process. She wasn't just _replacing_ a car, she was gaining a new member of the _family_. It had to be the perfect choice, and she was fully confident she would know her new baby as soon as she saw it. Until that time, it was just a matter of looking at a bunch of rejects who, for whatever reason, weren't quite right.

Behind her, Michiru paused and smiled when she saw what her partner was doing. She reached out, laying a gentle hand across Haruka's shoulders. "Is it going to take forever for you to replace it?" she asked with a soft laugh.

"Maybe. It depends on if I can find it quickly," Haruka said absently, not even completely registering whom she was speaking to.

Michiru was well aware of the process of car replacement by now, and she was only teasing, but it still amused her to no end. To her, it was just a car, even though she knew it meant infinitely more to her partner. It was something that she could only indulge Haruka on, but that she would never completely understand.

"I saw Setsuna and Mamoru," she said, her voice a touch louder in an effort to make it register. "They were lying outside, kissing. Seemed pretty serious to me."

"That's what our princess wanted," Haruka replied, blinking back to awareness. Images of cars danced in front of her eyes even when she looked away from the book, and she decided that she had had enough tonight. "Setsuna's been in love with him for a long time, and she's good for him."

Nodding, Michiru sat down in Haruka's lap when Haruka pushed away from the desk. "I agree," she said lightly. "But it worries me that they don't have their memories yet."

"I know." Haruka frowned for a moment. "The only ones who do are Minako, Chibi-Usa, and Hotaru, and Hotaru told me it was Chibi-Usa who returned her memories, not Usagi. We're going to have to have a long talk with that girl, Michi."

"Mmm," Michiru murmured, laying her head on Haruka's shoulder. "And a lot of apologies, I should think. We didn't act well, however good our intentions were, and you know it. You, in particularly, have got to get over the Starlights. She loves them like she loves us, and she won't stand for you and him bickering like children."

Haruka's frown became deeper, edging into a sulk. "But I don't like him."

Michiru simply smiled and kissed her partner gently. "Don't forget, we also need to find out why our talismans didn't come to us."

"That too," Haruka agreed, her mind momentarily swayed away from her previous thoughts. "And work on getting our friends their memories back." She wrapped her arms around Michiru and kissed the woman on her forehead, holding onto her gently. "I never believed I would say this, but I actually feel lonely without them."

* * *

"Who are you?" Rei asked, coming to a stop and staring. There was a boy she had never seen before, standing just inside the entrance of the Insitute. He had pale blonde hair and warm brown eyes, and she did a quick mental run-down of the students, trying to place him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for my brother, Scott Summers," the boy answered. He had a bit of an accent, although from where, she couldn't place it.

"Oh," Rei said with some surprise, looking at him with more interest "I didn't know Scott had a brother."

"I don't live here normally," the boy explained, gazing up at her. "I have a foster family, but I'm here to visit Scott for a while since it's summer. I'm Alex."

"I'm Rei," replied Rei, extending her hand. Alex took it, and she unconsciously blushed just a little. "It's nice to have you here, Alex. I think Scott is upstairs somewhere with Jean."

"It's nice to be here," Alex said, smiling broadly. "I don't know the Institute very well. Could you help me find my brother?"

"Sure," Rei said, turning to lead the way upstairs. She felt a little happier than she had been before, knowing that things were finally starting to look up. Alex was very, _very_ cute, and he seemed a good deal more polite than other boys their age were. "I think they're in the game room, just down there," she continued, pointing.

"Thank you," he said, and looked at her for seriously for a few seconds, as if memorizing her features. "I hope I see more of you will I'm here, Rei," he told her before he set off down the hall, calling Scott's name.

Rei watched as Scott and Jean came rushing out of the game room, greeting Alex with a great deal of happiness. Scott, in particular, was fairly beaming as he embraced his younger brother. Alex noticed Rei was still watching and winked at her. Her blush deepened and she turned away as if she had somewhere to go, hurrying quickly down the stairs before she was caught staring again.

"More of me, indeed," she said to herself as she walked out the front door into the night, but she was smiling.

* * *

Remember, reviews keep authors alive! So please take a few seconds to do it. _Ciao_!


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** Wow, everyone wants more Usagi/Logan, eh? xD I aim to please, so the first part of the chapter is answering your wishes. For those of you who will wonder about the ending of the chapter, please remember that Setsuna hasn't seen Usagi yet. She doesn't know Usagi and Logan are getting together, nor does she understand that Usagi is totally okay with Setsuna and Mamoru being a couple. So keep that in mind when you're reading the chapter. It's a little bit shorter than what you've been getting, but I'm trying to update regularly, so maybe that makes up for it?

* * *

"So there you have it," Usagi concluded in a whisper many hours later. Her voice was hoarse with the effort of speaking for so long, and she turned away from him long enough to dip her hand into the fountain and sip from the cool, sweet water. The liquid soothed her throat and she coughed a little, riding herself of the scratchy feeling in her throat before she turned to look at him expectantly.

Logan was gazing down at the ground, mulling over everything she had told him. And she had told him everything, from Beryl to Galaxia, and all of the numerous things in between. It was a lot to take in all at once, but he was aware of Usagi's anxious gaze on his head, and he decided to file it all away where he could examine it later in detail while in private. For the most part, he could accept it, but there were just a few things that he was having trouble coming to terms with.

"You have a daughter," he said slowly, as if hearing the words for the first time.

"Two, actually," Usagi said, and giggled nervously. Then she hiccuped, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Chibi Chibi and Chibi-Usa."

It was a struggle to change the blank, incredulous look he was sure was plastered all over his face. "And you're something like... two thousand years old."

"I am not," she said defensively, and hiccuped for a second time. Annoyance flashed into her eyes and she took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. When she didn't hiccup, she released it in a rush and blurted, "I'm only like a few years over a thousand."

"Only," he repeated, and she blushed, hiccuping for a third time.

"Yes, only," she replied, obviously trying to think quickly. "But... it's not like I look my age..."

Logan couldn't help himself. He laughed. Usagi huffed when he burst into laughter, but she smiled reluctantly at the same time, her silvery eyes wary. She looked away as he continued, and then down at the ground, and she reached down and picked up a few blades of grass. Placing them against her lips, she blew, producing a high-pitched whistling sound as his laughter slowed to a stop.

"I'm glad you think I'm funny," she said, and although her words were severe, her voice held an underlying tinge of amusement.

He smirked. "I think it's amusing that you look so innocent when you're really not," he replied, and she shot him a hot look. "I think it's interesting that you can live through so much and still get offended by laughter."

"I am still human, you know," she said, sticking her tongue out. She dumped the blades of grass into his lap and added more quietly, "Well, partly. I was born on the moon. I'll never be really human. I never was." Her eyes, filled with something that may have been fear, flickered up to his.

"I don't know how old I am, either," Logan said. Normally, this was information he didn't share with anyone, but considering the things Usagi had just spent the last several hours telling him, he figured it was justified. "I lost my memories some time ago, and my healing ability keeps me from growing old."

She thought about this for a few seconds, and then she smiled a little. "I could help you get your memory back, Logan," she said.

He glanced at her, surprised, and then wondered why he was surprised, considering the things he had just heard her say. "You could?" he asked, because that was the only thing he could think of to say.

Usagi's smile became a little brighter. "I can do anything," she said, and it wasn't boasting, because it was true, and he thought about that until she leaned over and kissed him. Then all thoughts fled from his mind, because kissing Usagi was like drinking from moonlight, and it was just easier to fall into the sensation. And then she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he tentatively placed his around her waist, and he discovered – shockingly – that somehow, she fit just right.

* * *

"Ew, they're making out," Chibi-Usa complained, peeking out the window. The rising sun made her eyes ache, and she shut the curtain. "Mama's going to take forever to get away from him," she said. "I'm going to do it instead, Hotaru."

When there came no response, the pink-haired girl turned around to see Hotaru stretched out on her body, her eyes closed in slumber. Chibi Chibi was curled up around Hotaru's midsection, one thumb tucked into her mouth and the other hand wrapped possessively around Hotaru's violet dress. Smiling in spite of herself at the cute scene, Chibi-Usa walked over to the bed and pulled the white covers up over her sister and best friend.

"Sweet dreams," she said softly, leaning down and kissing Hotaru on the cheek. She stroked Chibi Chibi's hair, then turned and left the room quietly, shutting the door behind her so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

She had the feeling that her mother would want to awaken the inner senshi, but Chibi-Usa wanted to be the one who awoke Setsuna. And, by extension, Mamoru, although that was a chore Chibi-Usa would have happily left to Usagi. It wasn't that she didn't like Mamoru – he was her father, of course she did. She loved him the way a daughter loves her father, for all his faults and weaknesses.

But Usagi was her _mother_. Usagi was the one who had taken her in, cared for her, fed her, put up with all her crap when she was a sassy little pest of a kid. Mamoru had only ever cared for her on occasion, and that was usually either when Usagi was around or when the blonde twisted his arm into doing it for a few hours. And he was a natural at it, there was no doubt about that – Mamoru would make an excellent father someday – but he wasn't very good at it yet.

He didn't know what to do when she cried, or when she was bored, or when she was feeling sick. Usagi, despite her sense of irresponsibility and extreme laziness, was a mother through and through. And it was only with her that Chibi-Usa felt really, truly, safe. That was one of the reasons why Chibi-Usa was so reluctant to awaken him. Part of her was afraid that he would try to lay claim to her, although she didn't really think he would.

"All this thinking makes my head hurt," she grumbled, heading towards the stairs. She scrubbed her fingers through her pigtails, muffling a yawn. The last few nights had taken its toll on her, but she was reluctant to sleep for fear of missing something. As a senshi, she required less sleep than other people, but she didn't function very well without it. Later on, when everything had died down, she would have to crash for a few hours. But for right now...

With an impish grin, Chibi-Usa ran down the stairs and pulled the front door open. The sun hit her right in the eyes and she squinted, shielding her eyes with her hand. She could make out several of the institute's students sprawled out over the lawn, sound asleep. Most of them appeared to have simply fallen over when they were too exhausted to play anymore, and she bit back giggles as she tip-toed around their bodies.

Setsuna and Mamoru were both asleep on lawn chairs. Chibi-Usa approached the two and stood over them for a moment, looking at them with interest. She knew they had gotten together, and she could admit to being happy for them. In the future, Sailor Pluto had always had a somewhat unhealthy interest in Neo-King Endymion, and at least now she knew why. It saddened the child to think that her friend had lived such a lonely existence, but she was somewhat cheered by the knowledge that now Setsuna's future would be different. It would not be the solitary life that she had been condemned to before.

As she had before, Chibi-Usa held her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes. The mark of her birthright appeared on her forehead, right between her eyes. This time, the crescent mark was a very pale shade of pink that flickered with a black light and a dark red light. She could feel the slumbering powers of Setsuna and Mamoru stirring when they felt _her_ power reaching out.

"Aha, there you are," she said, opening her eyes. "_Crystal Clarion_!" Wisps of bright pink power flared between her hands, and the familiar bell appeared. She closed her fingers around the handle, still holding it out on front of her. Her cry had awakened Setsuna, who sat up with a half-alseep expression.

"What are you doing?" she began, staring at the clarion with a startled expression. "Shouldn't you be – "

She never got the chance to finish her sentence, because Chibi-Usa smiled, her crimson eyes sparkling, and Setsuna fell silent, for there was something achingly familiar about that smile. Raising the clarion in the air, Chibi-Usa swung it back and forth. The sweet sound of the bell tolling burst forth, ringing through the air for their ears alone. Even when she stopped moving it, the bell continued to ring. It was to this music that Chibi-Usa looked straight into Setsuna's eyes and spoke.

"Remember, Puu," she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the bell. "Remember, Father. Awaken, and remember who you are. _Candy.._!"

Thin beams of light began to spray out of the jewel on the front of the clarion, shining in time with the ringing bell. The symbol of Pluto appeared on Setsuna's brow, and the symbol of Earth appeared on Mamoru's forehead, and the crescent mark on Chibi-Usa's head began to continually flash dark red and black. The pink beams from the clarion began to change color as well, until the beams were the same color as the crescent moon symbol.

"_YELL_!" Chibi-Usa finished loudly. In the time it took her to say the word, the beams vanished, her crescent mark turned back into a pale pink color, and Setsuna's head snapped back as if she'd been slapped. Mamoru's eyes shot open and he half sat up, gasping as if he'd been without air for a long time.

Chibi-Usa dropped the clarion, which disappeared before it hit the ground. She would do no more awakening with it right now, hopefully forever. Usagi would summon the memories back to Makoto, Ami, and Rei using the ginzuishou, and they were the last ones who needed to remember. It delighted the young girl to think that her family was very nearly complete once more.

"Puu?" she said cautiously, eyeing the two people in front of her. Neither of them had moved. "Mamoru?"

Setsuna blinked, as if coming back to herself quite suddenly, and looked straight at Chibi-Usa. "Small Lady," she said warmly, and there was no doubt or confusion in her voice. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Chibi-Usa said, and laughed, because there didn't seem to be anything else to do. She threw her arms around Setsuna's neck and hugged the older woman tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too," Setsuna murmured, returning the embrace. "Mamoru? Are you alright?"

The man was looking around as if he'd never seen the Institute before. There was a look of mild amusement on his face. "Somehow, I knew she'd draw you back," he said with a sigh. "Like moths to a flame."

Setsuna smacked him on the arm, and Chibi-Usa bounded into his lap, flinging her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. "Mamoru!" she squealed happily. "Mama will be happy you remember. I just couldn't wait for her to bring your memories back."

If he was shocked that Chibi-Usa had referred to Usagi as "mama", Mamoru did a terrific job of hiding it, for he merely grinned. "I'm sure she won't protest too much," he said, tickling the girl in the ribs. She shrieked and tried unsuccessfully to fend him off.

"Ah," Setsuna said to herself while the other two were distracted, and she smiled ruefully and with a great deal of sadness. Even without her memories, the Time Gates were a constant presence in the back of her mind. At least now she knew why she had the persistent feeling that she had forgotten something, and she rose gracefully from her chair, prompting startled looks from the two beside her.

"I have to go visit the Gates of Time," she said, and there was a hint of something unidentifiable in her voice.

"That's alright," Mamoru said, and he, too, stood, and kissed her gently on the mouth before taking Chibi-Usa by the hand. "You go, I'll be waiting when you return."

"Me, too," Chibi-Usa said, smiling brightly.

She looked at them and smiled tremulously, for they were the perfect image of a happy family, and she mourned the fact that they couldn't be hers. Chibi-Usa was like the daughter she would never have, and Mamoru would never – could never – be hers. It shamed Setsuna to think that she had even consorted with him behind her Queen's back while their memories were gone.

"Okay," she said, and she turned on her heel, envoking her transformation without speaking the familiar phrase. The portal to the gates appeared in front of her with only the barest hint of a twitch of her staff, shimmering and glowing around the edges. She strode through without a second glance behind into the misty lands beyond.

"Halt, intruder," a voice commanded as she entered. Sailor Pluto stopped in her place and looked around, but her eyes had become un-used to the mists, and ached when she strained to see who might be around.

"It is I, Sailor Pluto, protector of these Gates," she stated, holding her staff at the ready. "It is _you_ who is intruding upon my territory."

There was a pause, and then a shocked, "Sailor _Pluto_?" and two small, slender forms slipped through the darkness. Two cats, one white and one black, each with a gold crescent mark on their forehead, appeared in front of her, scrutinizing her with one blue and one red gaze.

"Luna, Artemis," she greeted, feeling relief slip around her shoulders like a warm shroud. She knelt down, giving each cat a scratch around the ears. "Greetings to you both. I have returned."

"What are you doing here, sister?" a third voice questioned.

Pluto turned in surprise to see her younger sister standing a short distance away, recognizing the pale hair and eyes immediately, even though she had not seen them in a very longer time. "Sailor Time?" she said, unable to hide the shock in her voice, and unwittingly repeated the same question. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The girl smiled. "I came to guard the gates while you were... away," she said delicately. "I didn't think you'd be back for some time?"

"Sooner than was expected," Pluto stated simply. "You can return to your home on Earth now. I will take over watching the Time Gates once more."

Sailor Time looked at her steadily, and there was some emotion in those deep ruby eyes that made Pluto feel almost sick. She looked away from the penetrating gaze, and straightened. "You can return Luna and Artemis to Usagi and Minako while you're at it," she said, trying to inject as much coldness into her voice as possible.

"I'll do that," Sailor Time murmured, and she beckoned the two cats with one finger, stopping their protests. "We'll have to speak to the princess," she whispered, drawing them away with a flash of gray light.

Pluto pretended not to hear this and looked around the solitary gates. They were exactly the same as she remembered. It was where she belonged. As the oldest daughter of a king that had committed unspeakable crimes, this was her punishment. To forever atone for what her father had done. It had been her choice as to whether she wanted to take all the punishment on her shoulders, or spread it out over the other family members so that each one took a little bit. She had chosen to take it all, and so, she had been sentenced to watch over the gates for eternity.

"It's where I belong," she whispered to herself, and felt a single tear slip down her cheek. The loneliness had not bothered her until she had a taste of what it was like to live. Now, that taste would forever torment her. She recalled the warmth of Mamoru's embrace and sobbed once, her shoulders crumbling.

"It's what I deserve," she said, louder, recalling the way they had moved together during their intimate moments. She shook her head hard, struggling to dispose of those images. It wasn't right, that she should act that way towards her king. He belonged to the queen, and only the queen, and she thought quite bitterly that it would be only her queen's gentle nature that allowed her to avoid more punishment.

The gates glowed, and a dull bell tolled in the distance, signifying that someone was approaching the gates. She pulled her glove off and wiped the tears from her cheeks, then drew her glove back on and stood up, ready to face an eternity of being alone, ready to face an endless future of solitude, ready to face the world as the one and only sailor senshi of the Gates of Time, Sailor Pluto.

* * *

Whew, that was depressing, wasn't it? Review quickly to find out what happens to her! Ciao!


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, X-men Evolution or the X-Men movies. I do own the Twilight Key, Syra (Sailor Time) and the new attacks.  
**Author's Note:** So what it comes down to is, my computer crashed and I lost the original version of this story that I was basing this version on. I had thought that I would never finish it at all. However, I hate when authors do that to me, so here's your chance. If anyone is still reading this and cares to have it completed, this is the time to let me know. It likely won't be the original ending I had planned, and it may very well (read: will likely) suck, but the option's here if you want it.

* * *

Meioh Setsuna was missing.

Usagi paced back and forth in the bedroom she shared with her daughter, her expression drawn into one of concern. The happiness and joy she'd felt with Logan the night before had vanished. Chibi-Usa sat back on her bed and watched her mother pace, knowing that the same frantic pulse to do _something_ beat through the both of them. The problem was, neither mother nor daughter knew exactly what that something was, as was evident when Usagi finally stopped and threw herself down on her bed, groaning loudly.

"Chibi-Usa, I just wish you'd waited," she said for the hundredth time.

Chibi-Usa pouted and sighed as she tucked a strand of pale pink hair behind her ear. "You were busy with Logan – which was awesome to watch, by the way – and I wanted Puu back," she replied, chewing on her lip. "I didn't know she would go back to the Time Gates right away."

Sitting up, Usagi sent her child a wry look. "Where did you _think_ she'd go?" she asked, drawing her knees up close to her body. She couldn't be too angry at Chibi-Usa. This situation was, after all, her own fault. If only she'd thought longer before taking away the memories of her senshi... they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

"I guess I wasn't thinking," came the reluctant answer. "Mama... I don't want Puu to stay at the Gates forever. It's so..."

"Lonely," Usagi concluded. She lifted her head a bit and directed a comforting smile at her oldest child. "Don't worry, Chibi-Usa. I know what to do."

"You do?" Chibi-Usa looked up, curious.

"Yeah. Go find your sister, okay? Make sure she's not bothering Galaxia." With that, Usagi peeled herself off of the bed and walked out of the room. She was back in her fourteen-year-old form, and it was kind of aggravating. The power and confidence that came from her older self was something she really missed and that she could have really used just then, but it couldn't be helped. "Setsuna-san... The sacrifice I'm making for you," she muttered under her breath when she saw her target.

Chiba Mamoru was standing at the door of the Institute, gazing out over the lawns. Even from the back, she could tell that he was extremely worried, and that softened her nerves somewhat. He must have sensed her presence, because he turned around and looked up at her. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking, for his dark eyes were a storm of complicated emotion that Usagi herself could sympathize with.

"Usako," he said by way of greeting.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi answered, reaching the bottom of the stairs and gazing at him thoughtfully. She still loved Mamoru. If she was completely honest with herself, she loved him a lot. It was impossible not to. Their relationship had suvived a thousand years of turmoil, and for a while, she'd adored the thought of growing old with him surrounded by a valley of crystal on a (mostly) peaceful planet. Even now, that thought was still kind of appealing, and she wrestled with the urge to just run to him and take solace in his arms. His next words stopped her cold.

"I suppose you've heard that Set has gone missing?"

"I did," she nodded, knowing that approaching him would be a bad idea. It was a concept that Usagi had never been very good at. The knowledge that she had to really let Mamoru go hurt, even if she had just spent over an hour in Logan's arms the night before. "I know how we can get her to return."

Mamoru seemed surprised by this. "I don't know if she would be willing to. She went to the Time Gates, you know." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking upset. "I should have known better than to let her go without speaking to you first."

Usagi smiled. "Like you could have stopped her," she teased gently, searching his face. Finding her answer, she pulled gently at the silver cord that hung around her neck, revealing the Twilight Key. Mamoru's eyes widened when he saw it. "Please, I need to speak to Setsuna-san," she whispered to it, meeting his eyes. The Key pulsed with light that seemed to get sucked into a dark gray portal that had immediately formed where the door used to be.

He glanced over his shoulder at the portal, then at her. "Usako..."

Her hand came up and touched his shoulder. For just a moment, Usagi was saddened by the memory of what could have been. But she had to let it go; it was best for everyone, including her. "Let's go, Mamoru," she said quietly. "Setsuna-san is waiting for you, isn't she?"

Mamoru hesitated for just a second, and then a warm smile lit up his face. The joy in his eyes was so much _more _than she had ever brought to him. "Yes, let's go," he agreed, stepping through the portal without any further hesitation.

Seconds before she stepped through, Usagi turned her head to the man standing at the top of the stairs. Logan was looking at her, and the hunger in his eyes was enough to make her flush even as she smiled at him. She knew that she had made the correct choice, even if it had been a difficult one to make. A new future was waiting for them all, and it would be the best yet if they could just make it through. It was with that thought in mind that Usagi turned and walked through the portal to her lonely senshi.

* * *

"So, they're gone?"

"Uhn. I think they left a few minutes ago."

"Hmm..." Aino Minako pressed the pause button and tilted her head, allowing her long blonde hair to sweep over one shoulder. It was difficult to keep her mind on a video game when she was still in a daze from the night she'd spent with Kurt. She'd awakened that morning with a huge smile on her lips that she hadn't been able to get rid of. For so long, Minako hadn't thought that she would be able to find love. The realization that she might have found it after all... the blonde shivered pleasantly, not caring even when the motion started the game back up and caused her car to crash.

"Here, Aunt Minako, let me try," Chibi-Usa said, seizing the controller.

Minako smiled and relinquished control to her niece. She picked up a pillow and leaned back against the couch as Chibi-Usa leaned forward, fingers dancing madly over the buttons in an effort to win and beat Shingo's best score. It was easy to see that the younger girl had complete confidence in the ability of her mother and father when it came to coaxing Setsuna back from the Gates of Time.

From the corner of her eye, Minako caught sight of Rei, Makoto, and Ami on the other side of the room, playing cards with Bobby and a boy she didn't recognize. Her heart clenched at the sight of them. As much as she adored her princess, Minako missed her best friends. The three of them had been a part of her life for so long that she felt almost guilty, knowing that she remembered things when they didn't.

"Chibi-Usa..."

"Sorry, Aunt Minako. I'm not awakening any more senshi," Chibi-Usa said, having apparently guessed where Minako's thoughts were leading. "You'll have to wait for Mama to come back."

"Yeah..." Minako sighed. She started when she felt the hum of power that ran through the air and sent a quizzical look towards Chibi-Usa. The child had also gone stiff in her chair, but she was also smiling broadly, her eyes sparkling. "Who...?"

"Why don't you go see?" Chibi-Usa relaxed and giggled. "I'll stay here."

Puzzled, Minako stood to leave as Shingo came over, his eyes darting between the two of them. She took no notice of him as she made her way down the hall and through the nearest door. For a moment, it seemed like nothing had actually changed, and she frowned with confusion as she mentally searched for that power that had vanished in the time it took her to get outside. That was, until she heard two familiar voices calling her name, and she spun just in time to catch two white and black blurs as they shot into her arms.

"Luna! Artemis!" she cried happily, clutching the cats tightly. "Where have you been? What are you doing here?"

"We were watching over the Gates of Time," said Artemis, purring contentedly. He arched up and rubbed his cheek against Minako's.

"Oh. Then I can guess why you're here," Minako said, wincing. "Chibi-Usa-chan said Usagi already went to try and talk some sense into her. She took Mamoru-san with her. I think she's hoping that he can coax her into coming back."

Luna nodded. "I'm glad," she said quietly, looking troubled. "Sailor Pluto has always lead a very solitary life. Guarding the Gates of Time doesn't warrant many visitors. But it doesn't seem right for her to go back to that sort of existence after she's had a taste of what this world is like. I can't imagine what it's like to be there for eons by yourself. It's a wonder she hasn't gone mad."

Minako shivered. Even though the day was warm, she was grateful for the feel of the cat's fur against her arms. "Well, let's hope that Usagi is successful," she said. She didn't know Setsuna very well – the woman had always seemed a little apart from the rest of them – but what she did know, she liked. And it didn't take a genius to know that the sailor senshi were strongest when they were together. If Sailor Pluto didn't come back, then she couldn't help but feel that it wouldn't bode well for what was coming.

* * *

Well... there you go. Let me know if anyone is still out there who cares about this story. It's up to you guys whether I actually attempt to put some kind of conclusion on this story, or if it just remains sitting here. Ciao!


	23. Chapter 22

A/N: I was pleased with the reception I got (and, quite frankly, amazed that people were still around). I decided that I'd do my best to finish the story. Please bear with me while I do. I think there are less than ten chapters left, so if you could all hang in there with me, that'd be fantastic. In a show of good faith – that you can believe I'll finish it – I give you the next chapter much sooner than I normally would.

* * *

From the cloudless blue sky came four glittering arches of light that plummeted towards the ground. Galaxia stood near the entrance of the Institute and watched them approach, her lips curved into a small smile. She'd felt them coming for the past day, though she didn't think that Usagi had. Once they were here, she would take her leave, slipping away as silently as she had come. As much as Galaxia adored the Earth and everything the planet had to offer, she felt... guilty... about being here.

The four meteors struck with a soundless explosion that caused the ground to tremble from the force of it. Somewhere inside the school, a girl screamed. Galaxia smiled even more broadly as a figure was revealed through the brilliant light. She stepped forward, arms reaching, and accepted the slender hand of Princess Kakyuu.

"Welcome to Earth, Princess," she said. "You are well met."

"Galaxia." Kakyuu's deep crimson eyes sparkled. "I had wondered where you were. Is that girl around?"

"She's here somewhere," Galaxia answered, knowing that Usagi was not really on this plane at all. "Have you the time to stay and wait?"

In an unusual show of nerves, the princess lifted a hand to her mouth and bit anxiously at her thumbnail. "No. My people are waiting for us. It was difficult enough for me to accompany the Starlights."

At the mention of the three sailor-suited soldiers that had stood up to her so well, Galaxia glanced behind the princess. Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Healer, and Sailor Star Maker had collapsed into a heap that was trying to separate themselves through a series of squabbles. Maker finally kicked her sisters off and stood up with a huff, brushing several strands of chocolate brown hair out of her eyes.

"Princess, are you sure it's wise for you to travel alone?" she asked, concern shining in her violet eyes.

"I will not be alone, Maker," Kakyuu said with her customary, gentle smile. "Galaxia will accompany me to Kinmokusei. I have the upmost confidence in her abilities to see me there safely. I am not utterly helpless, you know."

Maker inclined her head, though the glitter in her eyes told how much_ she_ doubted Galaxia's abilities. It was obvious that none of the three Starlights felt well about allowing their Princess to return without them, but what choice did they have? "We will return in one week's time," she said. "Once we have forewarned the Princess Serenity of what may come."

"It's too late for that," Galaxia murmured. At her comment, Kakyuu and Maker turned towards her sharply, and Healer and Fighter stopped bickering to listen. "That enemy has been drawn by the light of this planet. Already, she has attacked more than once."

"Damn," Fighter cursed, springing to her feet in one easy step. "Odango is alright, isn't she?"

"Easy, Fighter," Healer said, rising to her feet and laying a hand on Fighter's shoulder. "It would take a lot more than _that_ to ever bring that girl to her knees."

"Did you warn her?" Fighter demanded, looking sharply at Galaxia.

Galaxia's lips pressed into a thin line. "I brought her Chibi Chibi. I have done my part."

"Che." Fighter shook her head and looked away, scowling.

"You need not worry about returning in that time limit," said Kakyuu, glancing around at them. "I give you leave to stay here on Earth for as long as you want."

"Princess..." Healer stared at her.

Kakyuu just smiled at them. None of the three noticed the way her fingers had tightened on Galaxia's arm. "Take care of that girl, my Starlights. Protect her as faithfully as you would me." The words were useless to say, because she knew that her soldiers would have done that anyway. But she liked to say it as though it meant something.

Maker, Fighter, and Healer each bowed low to their princess as they filed by. None of them was quite certain what to say to her, and the knowledge that she wanted them to go was enough to send them on towards the stately house where the sailor senshi of Earth were rumoured to be. Not a minute after the three of them had left the clearing, a high-pitched scream that sounded vaguely like Healer's Earth name rang through the air, followed by Healer groaning loudly and Maker and Fighter laughing. Kakyuu's smile became touched with sadness.

"I'll never see them again," she whispered into Galaxia's hair, turning her face and body towards the older woman. "I set them free."

As she spoke the words, three multi-colored lights rose from her opened hand and flickered away. Galaxia sighed and lifted her free hand, gently wrapping her arm around Kakyuu's shoulders. For a moment, they both stood there in complete silence, broken only by the sweet sound of the wind whistling through the trees.

"That's the problem with that girl," Kakyuu said at last. She lifted her hand and made a motion as though she was clearing tears from her face. "I have brought her my – her – Starlights. It is now the job of those soldiers to stop Rehanne. Shall we go?"

"Let's," Galaxia said simply.

XXXX

Dark mist crept slowly around Usagi's legs as she looked up at the imposing Time Gates. Somewhere behind her, Mamoru was trying to make his way after her. Somewhere before her, Setsuna was preparing herself for eternal loneliness. Usagi heaved a disgusted sigh and rolled her eyes heavenward. She really loved her senshi, and she would do anything for them, but sometimes their level of stupidity seemed to be on par with hers. It wasn't necessarily a comforting thought.

"Setsuna-san?" she called out. Her words seemed muffled by the strange mist. "Setsuna-san! Where are you?"

"There is no need to shout. I'm right here."

"GAH!" Usagi jumped about a foot into the air and spun. Sailor Pluto blinked at her calmly. "You just took about ten years off of my life. Don't _do_ that."

Pluto shrugged and took a step past her princess. "Sorry."

"It's okay. At least this time, you didn't try to hit me with your staff." Usagi followed her progress silently before she spoke again. "Setsuna-san... Sailor Pluto... please come home with me."

"This is my home. It's where I belong."

"No one deserves this," Usagi said quietly. "Least of all you."

Her shoulders hunching, Pluto's fingers tightened on her staff. "This is my duty."

"This is your punishment for a crime you didn't commit!"

Startled, Pluto actually looked at her princess in shock. "You remember?"

"How could I forget?" asked the girl with grim humour. "Setsuna-san, when this whole thing began, I didn't remember anything about that time on the moon." Her hand rose, stroking the locket hidden within her jeans. "As I received more of my power, I began to recall more about that time. I probably don't know everything. I likely never will. But I can tell you right now that what your line did, what your father did, it's not worth this."

"You don't have the power to make that choice – "

"The hell I don't!" Insulted, Usagi squared her shoulders. "You're _my_ soldier! I'm not the only one who loses if you're stuck here forever. What about Hotaru-chan? Haruka-san and Michiru-san? What about Mamoru?"

Pluto flinched. "The prince will forever belong to you, Princess."

"Thanks, but I don't want him anymore."

"You can't expect me to believe a lifetime of love disappeared so quickly."

"It's not gone, but I've found something different." Usagi looked her in the eyes, blue clashing with magenta. "Being here lets you know every possible future and past, yes? Setsuna-san, you must know that living in that Crystal Utopia would have killed me on the inside. I couldn't have borne it. The love between Mamoru and I would have been slowly destroyed." She lowered her eyes. "And I don't want my baby to grow up not knowing whether or not I will love her. The future I want, I will make with my own hands. So don't sacrifice yourself for me, okay?"

Because Pluto had turned to face the Time Gates, she didn't see the way Usagi had let go of her fourteen-year-old self. A soft white light that chased away the cold was the only indication she got that something had changed. She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, drinking in the gentle touch of that warm light, before she turned. This time, silver eyes met with magenta and fairly sparked. Usagi brushed a few strands of silvery hair over one bare shoulder and looked at Pluto invitingly.

"Ne, Setsuna-san," she said quietly, spreading her arms. "I release you from this punishment. I consider the crimes of your family completely atoned for. No longer will you have to protect these Gates by yourself. You're free."

As she spoke, glittering trails of light drifted down from her fingers, not unlike the dust she was able to procure as her fourteen-year-old mutant self. Half of the light ran up Pluto's body and twined around her staff. The rest disappeared into the mist. Pluto had to close her eyes as the whole area of the Time Gates lit up with a brilliant flash. When she opened them, she saw that the normally dark metal of her staff was now veined with what appeared to be lines of garnet. She studied them closely, frowning a little.

"When the Time Gates are being threatened, those lines will shine to let you know and you can come straight here," Usagi said, pointing to the staff. "We will always know if something goes wrong. Now you can come home with us, and not worry that you might be neglecting your duty."

"Can you... do that?" Pluto said finally, still staring at her staff.

Usagi smiled. "Probably not, but what is Mother going to do to me?" she inquired, putting one hand on her hip and cocking her head with a mischevious smile. "You belong to me and I want you on Earth with us. Now please go and find Mamoru and guide him out of the mist. I think that's the third time he's wandered past."

"But are you certain..."

"Very much so. I love someone else now," Usagi assured her. She thought of Logan and turned a little pink. "I think he'll be good for me."

"Thank you," said Pluto, and without any warning, she reached out and embraced her princess. Usagi was shocked – it was the first time she could ever remember being hugged by the lonely soldier – but she eagerly returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Pluto in turn. It seemed like all too soon she was forced to let go when the two of them heard Mamoru calling out for Pluto. His voice was growing more distant every time he spoke, indicating that he was moving further away from them. Rolling her eyes, she dropped her arms and watched as Pluto moved off into the mists to find him.

Alone, Usagi sighed. It was time to go back to the Institute and awaken the rest of her senshi. She was beginning to draw upon the power of the Twilight Key when there was a dull flash that briefly lit up the mists, and three shining bits of light formed in front of her. Usagi stared at them, stunned. One was red, one was violet, and one was a yellowish green. Each of them was completely familiar and nudged gently against her hands when she just stood there.

"Seiya..." she whispered, shocked. "Yaten-kun... Taiki-san... You came home to me?"

Tears formed in her eyes and she carefully scooped the three crystals into her hands, cradling them against her chest. This did it. As soon as she finished waking up Rei, Makoto, and Ami, every one of the senshi that she loved so much would be home with her. She took a deep breath as tears spilled down her cheeks. With the power of the senshi and the X-men behind her, the petite blonde felt like there was nothing she couldn't do. With that knowledge in mind, she lifted her face to the heavens and said, "Kakyuu-sama... thank you."

* * *

TBC. None of the X-men were in this chapter, but next up: the remaining inner senshi are awakened, and everyone gets caught up on what's been going on. Then this new enemy starts a full scale attack... Will anyone be alive at the end of it? Review to find out!


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N:** I know this took me a bit longer to get out, but I have got a reason for it. I've spent the last week finishing up another fanfiction of mine, and now that it's done, I'm going to work on this one until it's complete. I'll be trying to update every Monday and Thursday until this is done. For anyone who might be a little confused reading this chapter, you may want to make sure you've read the last chapter. I got an extremely low reception for it so I thought perhaps not many people had seen it.

* * *

Fourteen-year-old Usagi returned from the Time Gates alone and walked into a scene that looked like nothing short of pandemonium. Minako was clinging to a very annoyed looking Yaten's arm, while Kurt hovered jealously behind them. Taiki was shooting quick little looks at Ami, who didn't seem to notice. Seiya was frowning and deep into conversation with Professor Xavier and Logan. Makoto and Bobby didn't even seem to be paying much attention to what was going, and Rei, Jean, and Scott all just looked really,_ really_ confused. She stopped in the doorway and took a deep breath, feeling the beginnings of a powerful headache, before she put two fingers to her lips and whistled sharply.

Ah, sweet, if brief, silence.

"Odango!" Seiya was the first to speak. She bounded across the room and swept Usagi up in a hug, literally. The petite blonde squeaked as her feet left the floor, though that didn't stop her from throwing her arms around Seiya's neck and holding on tightly.

"What is going on here?" Rei said, staring at the two of them with a frustrated expression. "Who_ are_ you people?"

"You don't know?" Taiki asked.

"She doesn't know?" Yaten shot a questioning look at Minako.

Minako just sighed. "It's a long story."

"What are you doing here?" Ignoring her friends for a moment, Usagi was glad when her feet came into contact with the ground again so that she could look up into Seiya's familiar dark blue eyes. "And you're female, this time," she noted.

Seiya smirked. "We don't need to pose as guys anymore, Odango," she said, tucking a strand of loose hair behind one of Usagi's ears. Usagi felt herself flush. Over in the corner, Logan's eyes narrowed a little. Having listened to Usagi's story, he knew who these three travellers were, and he could remember with perfect clarity how wistfully Usagi had spoken of them, especially that one. The princess had missed them dearly while they were gone, that was obvious. Now that they were back, what would it mean?

"We had to talk to you," Seiya continued, a grave look replacing her normally teasing smile. Her hand dropped from Usagi's cheek to her shoulder and squeezed meaningfully. "I'm sure you've noticed that something's not right."

Usagi bit her lip. "It's been impossible not to," she said quietly. The memory of the fight in the cave was still all too fresh, and even if it had brought Michiru and Haruka back to her, she still shuddered to recall it. "You know something about the new threat?"

Nodding, Seiya finally dropped her hands to her sides. "Kakyuu-hime sent us to warn you. She and Galaxia left just a little while ago. We didn't want her to be around when the fighting began."

Because there _would_ be fighting, she translated silently, taking an unconscious step backwards, and it would be the kind of fighting that could tear the world apart. Oh god, this was the part that she was really dreading. It had been one thing to let her friends get their memories back, but something else entirely to watch them begin fighting again. How many times could she stand back and watch them make the ultimate sacrifice before they were too shattered to repair?

"Rei-chan, Mako-chan, Ami-chan, I need to talk to you." Refusing to meet Seiya's inqusitive gaze and hoping that no one noticed the quiver in her voice, Usagi looked past her and sought out the rest of her friends. There was a lot she needed to do, like speaking with the Starlights about why they were here and how Kakyuu had released them, and getting a handle on that evil that had attacked them in the cave, and explaining a few key things to some of the more bewildered-looking X-men, but the most important thing was to awaken the rest of her senshi first. No matter how much the thought of fighting dismayed her, the senshi had always been strongest as a team. Not having all of them awakened would be a liability she couldn't afford.

"About what, Usagi-chan?" Makoto gave her a curious glance. Bobby's arm was wound around her shoulders, and she seemed pretty reluctant to move out from underneath it.

"You'll see," the girl said softly, looking at them with pleading eyes. "Please?"

She beckoned to Minako with a wave of her hand and turned, heading right back outside without waiting to see if her request would be met. Rei followed without missing a beat. The other blonde pouted but reluctantly un-wound herself from around Yaten's arms. Minako paused just long enough to give Kurt a healthy kiss on the lips – an action that left the blue imp reeling – before she trotted out the door after her princess, dragging Ami and Makoto behind her. Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki exchanged concerned looks before they too, joined the small group out doors. Professor Xavier stared after them with a thoughtful look. Scott was trying to snap Kurt out of his daze. And Logan... well, he just glowered at the door for a moment before he disappeared.

Outside, Usagi stopped walking and looked at the woods without saying anything before she spun to face her friends. She wasn't quite sure where her daughters were – Chibi Chibi and Chibi-Usa were probably off causing mischief, and likely, Hotaru had gotten drawn into it as well – and Haruka and Michiru were no where to be seen. But that was alright, she didn't really need them for this, and all things considered, life was easier when Haruka and Seiya weren't squabbling. It would be simple enough to fill them in afterwards.

"Could you come closer?" she asked. "Rei-chan, you come here, and Makoto-chan, you're on my other side. V-chan, across from me, and Ami-chan, you're between V-chan and Rei-chan." Usagi reached out and took Makoto's right hand and Rei's left hand as she spoke, indicating with a nod for her friends to do the same. The Starlights gathered nearby, though it seemed as though they just wanted to watch as none of the three made any move to infiltrate the circle.

Closing her eyes, Usagi began taking deep, slow breaths as she fell deep into her power and summoned the ginzuishou. The glowing threads in her mind that were her connection to the crystal began to shimmer immediately when she called out to it. She teased the strands gently, drawing off power and radiating it down the lines to her friends, awakening their powers and with them, their memories. Minako was the first to answer, sending a throbbing hum of orange glitter that tasted of love and sunshine. Slowly... ever so slowly... as the memories began to return to them, Usagi received three more answers. A vine of green, sparks of red, and a stream of blue... The pervasive headache that always thrummed around her temples when she used the ginzuishou eased as their power radiated back into her.

"Usagi, you idiot," Rei muttered, her grip tightening as a particularly unpleasant memory flickered across her mind. The red sparks flashed, a band of heat that made Usagi wince.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," she hissed in return. "I wanted... you to be happy..."

"We're happiest with you," said Ami simply. "You should have known better."

Sighing, she let the connections drop, putting a stop to the hum of power that was a continuous whirl through their joined hands. Her eyes opened and she blinked, glancing at each of them in turn. Minako's bright smile. Ami's admonishing look. Rei's annoyed glare. Makoto's wink. Her own lips twitched in turn, but she fought to look contrite. "I'm sorry, okay? I was foolish and I fully admit that."

"It's alright." Makoto's hand squeezed hers before she let go, releasing Minako at the same time. A contemplative look crossed her face as she folded her arms. "I was wrong, though. Bobby doesn't look anything like my old boyfriend. Maybe that's a good thing... He doesn't act anything like him, either."

Minako burst out laughing and dropped Ami's hand. She threw her arms around Makoto with a squeal. "It's been a long time since I heard that kind of logic."

That seemed to be the signal. Usagi eagerly embraced the soldier of ice, enjoying the feel of hugging the one person who could always be counted on to dig her out of her messes. Then she moved on to Makoto, while Minako pounced on Ami. Makoto hugged her gently, then physically turned her around to face Rei. Usagi looked at her dearest friend nervously. Minako was her beloved cousin, but Rei was one of her closest friends, and as much as they bickered, she didn't like having Rei made at her. As though sensing her thoughts, Rei sighed.

"You're a big idiot," she said flatly. "And I think you were thinking more about yourself than us when you did this. But I'm glad that you at least had the sense to finally come and wake us up."

Usagi winced, knowing that the fire senshi was hurt that she'd awoken them last. "I did try to awaken you before," she said pleadingly, holding her hands out in a peaceful gesture. "Remember? At the camp, but we got disturbed. I've wanted to ever since then, so much. You can't imagine w-what it's b-been like..." The blonde's voice broke as tears welled up in her eyes.

Rei grimaced a bit but softened anyway. "Stupid," she said, but the harsh word was spoken with a great deal more fondness than before, and she moved to wrap her arms around the stubborn blonde princess. Usagi fell into the embrace gratefully. "Sometimes it's like you just don't see the big pictures," Rei whispered, trying to ignore the fact that her own violet eyes were glassy with tears.

"You must be so confused," Minako said cheerfully, swiftly re-attaching herself to Yaten's right arm and ignoring the annoyed sound she received in return. She couldn't help it; Yaten was so much fun to annoy. The silver-haired girl could get completely vexed and she still wouldn't have the heart to shove Minako off.

"Just a little," Taiki said, sounding more than "just a little" amused at the two of them. Yaten glared at her. Minako simply grinned.

"To give you a short summary, our memories have been bound for the past few months," she told the Starlights. "Everyone's except Usagi's. It's always been a dream of hers to have a normal life, and she thought she'd pass that on to us." She cast a brief glance over her shoulder at her princess. "Except even though _we_ didn't remember anything, our powers weren't exactly resting. They started popping up in our normal, everyday lives. It made people think we were mutants - which are normal humans who possess some kind of unusual power or talent or appearence - and that's not really seen as a favorable thing in this world. A very kind and generous mutant named Professor Xavier gathered us all together and it ended up being that Usagi had to release our memories anyway." Taking a deep breath, she looked expectantly at Seiya. "Your turn!"

Seiya raised her eyebrows, but obliged. Usagi and Rei both turned to listen as the Starlight began. "As you know, a few years ago we returned to Kinmokusei to re-build our planet," she said quietly. "It was inherently more difficult than we'd expected. Not all of Chaos' influence had been destroyed. Many people still suffered from having been under his control, even though Galaxia no longer did, and they rejected the reappearence of Kakyuu-hime. In their eyes, she was a cruel leader who had only ever been horrible to her subjects." Seiya's eyes flashed with pain. "The Ringleader of this movement was a woman by the name of Rehanne. Before Chaos came, she was an extremely close confidant of our Princess."

"Kakyuu-hime was devestated, and asked us not to hurt Rehanne if at all possible," Yaten said, taking up the story and giving up on prying Minako loose. "As you can imagine, it left us in a difficult position of being unable to really fight when their attacks came. We were often helpless, and not once did we ever get close enough to do anything." Her eyes darted towards Usagi for a second, and she didn't need to say it. Usagi was looking at the ground, but her head rose and she gazed at Yaten almost desperately.

"Why didn't you come for me?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

"As the protectors of our planet, we wanted to solve this ourselves," Yaten replied. "We can't depend on you for everything."

"I would have helped you if I had known," Usagi said, acting as though Yaten hadn't spoken. Her fingers tightened into fists. "I'll do anything for you."

A shiver went down Yaten's spine, and she had to look away from those determined blue eyes. "Even though we were having a hard time, we had so far managed to keep Rehanne away, and it was getting frustrating for her. There was no way she was getting close to Kakyuu-hime as long as we were there, but she didn't have the power to kill us. So she decided to head for what she believed to be a weaker target, for the one whom she thought was really responsible for Kakyuu-hime returning. I'm sure you know she turned up here on Earth."

"That doesn't make any sense. Usagi-chan defeated Chaos in the first place. Surely, she must have known it was a loser's fight from the beginning," Makoto protested.

Taiki shrugged and spoke up. "We're not really sure why she came for Earth. She did come to the other side of the world from where you would normally be, so it's likely she thought she would start her attack where you couldn't stop her. At some point, it's probable that she figured out where you were and that you had no memories, and decided that it would be easier to start picking you off one by one. She must not have realized that Tsukino-san still had her memories, or she would have been much more clever with her plan of attack."

"So why are you here now? Why weren't you here when she first arrived?" asked Ami.

"We didn't know she'd come here for certain until Galaxia arrived and confirmed it," said Seiya wearily, running a hand through her dark hair. "And there was still so much work to do on Kinmokusei that we couldn't just walk away. We had to make sure that Kakyuu-hime would be alright."

"Seiya..." Usagi lifted her hand, as though she was going to reach out to the older girl, but then she hesitated. "Kakyuu-sama gave me your sailor crystals before she left. You belong to me now."

"What?" Taiki and Yaten exclaimed together.

"No way! Kakyuu-hime – "

" – wouldn't have done that!"

"I know." Those two, quiet words stopped Yaten and Taiki in their tracks. The two of them turned to stare at Seiya in complete shock. She was looking down at the ground, a strange look on her face that was almost a mixture of defeat and joy. When she lifted her head, a defiant expression replaced it. "I know. She told me that she was going to before we left. She said we didn't belong on Kinmokusei any longer, and that she wanted..." Her voice trailed off briefly and she cleared her throat. "She wants us to be happy, and she thought this would do it."

"She can't just... decide that!" Yaten burst out, looking wild. "We belong with her! We're her senshi!"

"Not anymore," Seiya said softly.

In the resulting silence, Usagi looked over her new senshi carefully. Yaten looked as though she was torn between tears and anger. Taiki was just in shock. Seiya seemed to be the one who had come to terms with it the most. She glanced pointedly at Ami and Minako, who seemed to get the message. Minako used the fact that she was still holding onto Yaten to gently tug the silver-haired girl away. Taiki went willingly with Ami, and even Makoto stepped up to usher Seiya away. Left alone with Usagi, Rei looked at her princess.

"And what are my orders?" she asked sarcastically.

Usagi tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "Find Chibi-Usa-chan, Chibi Chibi, Hotaru-chan, Haruka-san and Michiru-san and update them on Rehanne," she said. "I don't think we got the whole story but at least now we know a little of what we're dealing with. We'll meet up in about an hour in the conference room. Everyone has to get on the same page."

Rei nodded. "Alright. What will you do?"

"I'll be around," she answered, and only once she was sure that Rei was gone did she set off on her mission: finding Logan.

* * *

A/N: So now you know a little bit about Rehanne and who she is and why she's come to Earth. I know there wasn't much interaction with the X-men in this chapter, but I had to establish the inner senshi and the Starlights before we could go anywhere.

Coming up: all hell breaks loose within the Institute when Rehanne starts her attack. People are being wounded and killed left and right. Will anyone even be alive to fight the final battle?


	25. Chapter 24

**Warning:** From this point forward, there will be some **character deaths**. I warn you of that very strongly. Believe it or not, this was actually a part of my original ending, too (probably the only part I recall). It won't be terribly gruesome or descriptive, but you've got fair warning, so I don't want to hear any complaints. I apologize for not having this out last night; the site wouldn't let me upload anything no matter how many times I tried.

**A/N:** Readers, we need to have a little talk. I don't want to be one of those authors who complains about reviews, but I got a_ ton_ of encouragement from people who wanted me to continue this story, which is the whole reason I did. For my last chapter, I got one review. One. Now, writing this story is not really fun for me. I know the ending already, and believe me when I say that there's at least five other fics that can use the attention I'm placing on this story. The sole reason I am trying to finish is for people who want an end. So if you actually_ want_ that end, then please start reviewing for it. Right now I feel like no one is reading what I'm posting and let's face it, that wastes everyone's time.

* * *

Logan was tearing through the Danger Room when she found him. Usagi stopped and watched him for a while, a faint smile on her lips. He was physically strong, of course, and she had always been aware of the fact, but he moved with an unnatural grace that she could never even hope to emulate. Every move he made was calculated and refined. None of the robots or lasers or bullets that were supposed to pose a challenge of some kind for him came even close to their target before they were brought down by the razor sharp adamantium claws.

"He really is a wonder," she murmured to herself, placing a hand against the cool glass. As though he'd heard her speak, he glanced up at her. She wondered at the somber look in his eyes, but smiled and waved anyway. He nodded in return and headed for the elevator that would bring him up into the control room.

"Hey kiddo," he said as the doors swished open. He tensed in the next instant, looking uncomfortable. She thought she understood and didn't begrudge him for staying across the room, even though she wished that he would come closer. How awkward would it be for a centuries old man to have a girlfriend who had the physical appearence of a fourteen-year-old?

"Hey professor," she teased by way of response, hoping to set him at ease. "You looked really cool down there. I could never fight that well."

A frown touched his lips. "I couldn't imagine you fighting all."

"You know that I have," Usagi said, surprised at the comment. She walked over the cameras that displayed the whole Institute, smiling at what she saw. Most of the school was gone on a field trip for the day, but the senshi, Professor Xavier, Logan, Storm, Bobby, Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty and Rogue had remained behind. She strongly suspected that it wasn't a coincidence that the only people who had been left behind were the X-men. Clearly, she wasn't the only one who thought that a long explanation was in order.

"I know what you told me, but you just seem so..." Innocent. The word remained unspoken, but it hung between them, and he couldn't help that. He'd tried all morning to wrap his mind around the idea of Usagi being a fighter, but it didn't seem to work. Usagi being a saviour? Yeah, that was easy. It was the fighting part that he couldn't quite get. The petite blonde just didn't seem like a fighter. Professor Xavier had never suggested that they put her into the Danger Room, but he would have been against it even if the man had. She just didn't seem like the kind of person who could handle it.

Now Usagi was the one who was frowning. "Logan, don't get taken in by my appearence," she warned. "You know what I really look like. I wear this disguise because it was the way I was when I was fourteen, but that was a _long_ time ago. I'm not nearly as naive or innocent as I look. It was a mistake for me to think that sealing away the memories of my friends was a good idea, but don't think that I can't fight. I might not like violence, but sometimes..."

Logan shook his head. "And see, that's what I don't get," he said, frustrated. "I would've thought you'd hate violence and that you'd avoid it at all costs."

She glared at him. "Avoiding it at all costs has nearly gotten me and my friends killed on several occasions!" she said heatedly. "I will always prefer to talk things out if we can. There should always be a peaceful way to resolve things. But corruption happens and I have to accept that, just like you have to accept that I'm not the weak little kitten that this body makes me out to be."

He was going to respond – no really, he was, even though he didn't have the slightest idea of what he was going to say – but before he could, the lights went out. Usagi yelped, a sound that really made her seem even younger, and then he heard her curse as she tripped over something. A smirk crossed his face at that – maybe she wasn't quite as innocent as he'd thought, if she could swear like that – and made his way over to her, easily avoiding all of the obstacles in the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine," she grumbled. "Damn it, I tripped over a chair. That _hurt_."

Swallowing a laugh, he reached out and groped around until he found the back of her shirt, then lifted her into a standing position. "Some fierce fighter."

"Shut up, Logan."

The screens that she'd been looking at before abruptly flickered to life. Usagi spun towards them as the visage of a surprisingly young woman came into focus. She looked to be about twenty or so years old, with a waterfall of dark hair the length of which would have rivalled even Usagi's, all done up into numerous intricate braids. Her robes were very similar to Kakyuu's, except they were done in shades of dark violet, silver, and pale yellow, colors that complimented her pale skin. It was the eyes, though, that got to Usagi. Flat and dark, the fathomless black depths seemed to stare straight into her soul. A chill went down her back. This woman was worse even than Chaos.

"Good evening, Princess," Rehanne murmured, her hands clutching her skirt in a parody of a curtsey. "By now, the Starlights have undoubtedly reached you with word of my presence on your precious planet. It will do you no good. You see, unlike your previous enemies, I have no desire to take over this useless place. I have one goal only: to utterly destroy you, Princess Serenity of the White Moon. For that, you'll notice that your powers are useless against me." A cruel smile crossed her face. "The one gift my great lord gave to me before he was forced to flee Kinmokusei was the ability to create a barrier against sailor crystals. You are on your own, dear princess, and your friends at my mercy. Unfortunately for them, I have very little of that."

"What..." Usagi's mouth dropped open, and for a second she could only stare at the monitor with a stricken expression. The whole point behind awakening her friend's memories was so that they could fight as senshi! Was it really true that they would be so helpless? "You... you can't do this!"

The screen scrambled with fuzz, then snapped back into clarity. Rehanne's message began to repeat for a second time, indicating that it had merely been recorded, and that there was no way for her to actually communicate with the woman. She stumbled backwards and cupped her hands over her mouth, staring with dazed eyes at the monitor as Rehanne's cold words seeped into her mind. They were too late. Too late...

With an angry shout, Logan moved, plunging his claws into the screen. Electricity sparked and crackled, but he seemed to be able to ignore the pain as he withdrew his claws and turned to Usagi. The stricken look on her face told him all he needed to know about just how bad this situation was, and as the room against went completely dark around them, he concealed a string of curses even as he reached out and jerked her to him. Her slender hands came up to touch his chest and he felt her whole body shudder.

"My family... She's going to try to kill them..." Usagi whispered, her fingers clutching desperately at his shirt. "Without their senshi powers, they... they..."

"Hey!" Logan wished that the lights would come back on, so that he could see her face, but touch would have to do. He cupped her cheek and forced her to look in his direction, thumb brushing at the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Weren't you just telling me that you're a fighter? Then let's _do_ this. Your friends aren't just senshi, you know, they're mutants too, and it sounds like this girl doesn't know that. They're not defenseless."

"You... you're right," she said finally, once his words had sunken in. She lowered her face to his chest and smiled a tiny bit. He was right. If there was one thing she knew about the senshi, about all of her friends, it was that they wouldn't go down without a fight no matter what it took. "Let's go. We have to find them before Rehanne does. If we can get together before she starts picking us off – " the words caught in her throat for a moment "then we'll have a better chance."

"What are we waiting for?" Hauling her along, he slashed at the door of the room with his claws, then kicked the weakened metal apart. He grabbed Usagi's hand, and the two of them took off.

**33333**

"This is not good."

"Tell me about it."

Chibi-Usa turned away from the screen that had pretty much appeared out of no where and decided to ignore the woman and her disturbing message. She hadn't been too concerned when the lights went off, but now she was frightened, and she couldn't help that. Her 'mutant powers' had only ever manifested in the fine pink mist that seemed to have the ability to paralyze everything it touched, and even then, she'd only ever done it once, when her mother was in danger. How was she supposed to know how to do it again? And Chibi Chibi was just a little kid, with no mutant powers at all. What could she do? It gave her the chills to realize that the three of them were basically sitting ducks.

"Chibi-Usa-chan?" Hotaru's warm voice came through the darkness, and her hand dropped onto Chibi-Usa's shoulder. "It's alright. I'm sure Usagi-mama is already looking for us."

"That's what I'm worried about," Chibi-Usa muttered. "Mama shouldn't be bothering to look for us. She should be worried about that freak over there." She shot an accusing look at the screen, which had since descended into fuzzy gray static. Hotaru and Chibi Chibi were just barely visible through the dim gray light. "Hotaru-chan... do you think it's true, what she said? That we can't transform?"

"I don't know," Hotaru admitted, her brow creasing. "I'm concerned about what she meant when she said there was a barrier against our sailor crystals. Will it just prevent us from transforming, or will it do something worse to us if we try?" She chewed her lip nervously. "I don't want to try and leave you and Chibi Chibi-chan alone if something happens."

"Then I'll try, because I don't really have anything to protect us with, anyway," said Chibi-Usa. Before Hotaru could stop her, she threw her hand in the air and shouted, "_Pink Moon Crystal Power, Make UP!_"

Nothing happened.

Disappointed, Chibi-Usa sank back into the chair. Her stomach clenched. She'd never had the rose crystal ignore her demands before. "I guess that answers_ that_ question."

Hotaru sighed and drew Chibi Chibi into her lap. The small girl curled up into a tiny ball. "This is not good. If we can't transform... I don't have a lot of control over my mutant powers yet."

"Well, I'm not going to just wait around here." Chibi-Usa stood up. "Let's see if we can find someone, _anyone_."

A thoughtful look on her face, Hotaru was silent for a few minutes. But then, apparently unable to think of a better idea, she nodded and rose as well, shifting Chibi Chibi slightly in her arms. The two of them walked out into the hall of the Institute, leaving the filmy gray light behind and entering a world of complete darkness. Chibi-Usa shivered and reached out, grabbing a handful of Hotaru's skirt so that they wouldn't be seperated. She would have preferred to hold her friend's hand, but Hotaru had her arms full of Chibi Chibi.

It was strange to walk through the halls when everything was so dark and quiet and still. Chibi-Usa trailed her fingers along the wall and wondered, briefly, if perhaps they'd been transported to an alternate dimension, and maybe they were the only ones there... but in the next breath, she forced herself to think otherwise. That kind of thinking would only drive her crazy, and she had to remain strong for Hotaru and Chibi Chibi, and anyone else they found... _if_ they found anyone else, a fact that she couldn't quite force herself to forget.

So suffice it to say that when they turned a corridor, and saw the flickering candlelight coming towards them, she was infinitely relieved.

"Jean!" she cried with relief, flinging herself against the redhead.

Jean staggered back and dropped the candle. Her hand came up at the last instant, bringing with it the candle through the use of her powers. "Chibi-Usa!" she said with a gasp. "You scared me."

"Chibi-Usa? Who else is there with you?" Scott asked, straightening his quartz glasses. It was already a pain to constantly see things through a haze of red, and the flickering candlelight wasn't helping.

"It's me," said Hotaru, stepping into the light. Her dark violet eyes scanned both Scott and Jean silently before she added, "And Chibi Chibi. We were in one of the game rooms when the lights went out. No flashlights."

"Did you see that message?" he asked grimly. "Professor Xavier was explaining things to us, a little, when the power went out. We haven't heard from him since then even though Jean's been trying, but I guess that means there's no chance you guys can do your thing?"

"I tried," Chibi-Usa admitted, drawing back from Jean. She dried her eyes and said, "My crystal wouldn't even respond me. This barrier totally blocks us."

"Well, I think we should try to find the others," Jean said decisively. "There's safety in numbers. Like Scott said, I can't reach Professor Xavier, but he should be in his office." Her mouth twisted, the only real indication of how uncomfortable she felt at being completely cut off from him. She couldn't remember the last time when she hadn't been able to speak to her mentor telepathically. "Why don't we head that way?"

"Sounds good to me. I think it would be a natural meeting place," said Scott. "Jean, you go first. Chibi-Usa and Hotaru can walk in the middle. I'll take up the back."

Jean shot a concerned glance at him, wondering if that was really the best idea. She could tell that he was having difficulty seeing in the darkness, but the stubborn set of his jaw told her that there was no use arguing. When Scott set his mind to something, he rarely changed it. Reluctantly, she turned, taking a moment to orient herself before she kept going. In the dark, the Institute seemed like alien territory.

"Let's just hope this is over soon," she said under her breath. "I don't know how much more of this we can take."

**33333**

When the lights went out, Kurt's first thought was Minako.

His second was the rest of the X-men.

The furry imp crept down the hall, well aware that he was probably the only one in the whole place who could see without any trouble whatsoever. His golden eyes allowed him to have perfect night vision, with the result that sometimes he actually saw better in the dark than he did in bright light. This certainly wasn't a disadvantage to him, but he had the strong feeling that it would be for Minako and everyone else, and it was for her benefit that he hurried, scuttling down the hall and pausing every so often to listen for anyone else.

Before he had gotten very far, though, he had the strong sense that something wasn't quite right. Thanks to his teleportation abilities, his senses were often quite in tune with the world around him, and just then, the world felt very wrong. His skin itched as though he needed a bath, but it wasn't his fur that was dirty. It was the very air around him. He shuddered and leapt straight up, clinging to the ceiling. That helped, but only a little.

"I should have seen someone by now," he growled to himself, feeling fear and panic flowing through him even more by the minute. The Institute was a huge place, especially when one considered that there was so much underneath, but there wasn't really that many places for people to be. Considering all of the senshi and X-men who had been around that day, he didn't understand why he hadn't run across someone yet. He had been searching for a good half hour, but he still hadn't found anyone. Was he just missing his friends because they were walking around too, or was there something more sinister going on?

"Minako... where are you?" he wondered, wishing now more than ever that he could just focus on a person and bamf to their side. It would have come in handy right then. He also wished that he dared to call out, but he didn't want to risk drawing any negative attention to his position.

Therefore, when the sound came, it was so sudden and so shocking that he very nearly lost his grip on the ceiling. It would have resulted in a most ungraceful fall to the floor, so he was relieved when his instincts kicked in and kept him from slipping. He remained still, crouched close to the ceiling, eyes darting around warily. The sound had been so unexpected that he hadn't even been able to recognize it. But when it came again, he did. A soft thumping sound.

Curious, he dropped to the floor and followed the sound down the hallway to the door that it was coming from. He tapped on the door, wondering if he would get some sort of answer. The only response was that same, soft thumping sound. Kurt frowned, then jumped back onto the ceiling again. Slowly, his tail reached down and twisted the doorknob. He very nearly suffered a panic attack when a torrent of water flowed out of the room that he now recognized to have been the room Kitty and Rogue shared and he scowled once he'd gotten back under control, wondering how so much water had gotten into the room.

Then he froze.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw just _what_ the water had brought out with it. He stared in blank terror, hardly able to comprehend just what he was looking at. Then he bamfed suddenly and unexpectedly, with no idea of where he was going, just wanting – needing – to get away.

He left behind the pale, peaceful, and very much dead bodies of Kaioh Michiriu and Tenoh Haruka.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuuun. The next chapter will go backwards a little and explain how and what happened to Haruka and Michiru. Next chapters: more numbers are up, and Usagi struggles to figure out how to defeat an enemy who has already blocked her greatest weapon. Please review.


	26. Chapter 25

**Warning:** From this point forward, there will be some **character deaths**. I warn you of that very strongly. Believe it or not, this was actually a part of my original ending, too (probably the only part I recall). It won't be terribly gruesome or descriptive, but you've got fair warning, so I don't want to hear any complaints.

A/N: We have a bit of a time jump in this chapter; this first part occurs before the last scene of chapter 25 (obviously, Kurt can't find them before they die). Then the second scene begins after Kurt has already found them. I hope that's clear to everyone. This chapter kind of ran away from me in terms of length, so I ended up cutting it up a bit to make it a better length. Enjoy!

Koneko-chan = Kitten (a nickname that Haruka has for Usagi)

* * *

To say that neither Haruka nor Michiru were impressed when the lights went off was a vast understatement. In fact, after Rehanne had finished delivering her message and the screen fizzled and went dark, casting their bedroom into utter darkness, she was pretty sure that she heard Haruka growling under her breath. Michiru smiled to herself as she climbed off of her partner and fixed her bra and shirt and ran her fingers through her hair. Their time together would have to wait. This kind of challenge to the princess could not be ignored.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, unperturbed by the fact that she could not make out Haruka's face through the darkness. She could feel that her partner was near, and for her, that was enough.

Haruka sighed and got off of the bed, fixing her own clothing in the process. "I think it's going to be even harder on her this time than it was last time," she said regretfully. "If only we could summon our talismans..." Frustrated, she struck out and slammed her fist into the wall. "Now that Setsuna remembers, we could, but we can't even transform!"

Michiru concealed a sigh. She didn't want to die. It was never a pleasant experience. "Haruka," she admonished, reaching out until she came into contact with Haruka's arm.

"Michi?" Haruka's voice answered, sounding confused and coming from a completely different direction.

The arm that Michiru was holding onto didn't exactly feel right. She felt her heart flutter against her ribcage as her hands slowly moved down the appendage to the hands, where she came into contact with what could only be razor sharp claws that could easily pierce her delicate skin. A lesser woman might have screamed immediately. Michiru controlled herself long enough to very calmly inch backwards on the bed, until she was able to stand up. Unfortunately, the scream that was building in her throat was abruptly choked off when those razor sharp claws locked around her neck.

"Let go of her!" A thin beam of light illuminated the dark, and Michiru wished that she_ could_ scream when she caught sight of the youma. Haruka tucked her flashlight under her arm and slammed her right hand forward, invoking the power of the wind as she did. The youma shrieked in pain as her attack nailed its stomach, forcing it to disintegrate. Michiru collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. "Michiru! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she panted, wincing as her fingers came into contact with a dozen little tiny cuts from those claws. She couldn't quite conceal a shudder, and knew that she would be dreaming of hands reaching out of the darkness for months to come. "Let's go. We've got to find Usagi."

Haruka still wore a concerned look, and she would have liked to have taken the time to bandage Michiru's neck, but she nodded nevertheless. They might not have been able to transform, but they were still sailor soldiers, and that meant protecting the princess was their number one priority. She helped Michiru to stand and wrapped an arm around the slighter woman's waist to help her walk. Her other hand held the flashlight, giving them_ some_ ability to see, at least.

"Where do you think Koneko-chan would be?" she asked, her voice echoing.

"If I could summon the Deep Aqua Mirror, I'd know," Michiru muttered bitterly, grimacing. Her heart rate and breathing had slowed back to normal, but her throat burned with pain every time she swallowed. She also felt dizzy, though she didn't say so to Haruka. "But if the lights went out, I would guess that her first priority would be making sure that Chibi-Usa-chan, Hotaru-chan, and Chibi Chibi-chan are alright. Let's head towards the dormitory."

It was sound reasoning. Haruka swept her flashlight from left to right, making sure that the coast was clear before the two of them began their trek down the hall. The teachers' quarters weren't really that far away from where the students slept, but it was slow going since Haruka was supporting most of her partner's weight. Michiru just kept trying to breathe deeply to keep control of the spots that kept dancing in front of her eyes. Her body felt weak and heavy, and once or twice she staggered, nearly pulling both of them to the floor. By the time they got to the right hall, she couldn't move anymore; her legs would no longer co-operate.

"Haruka..." she whispered, touching one hand to her head. "I can't..."

Haruka swore under her breath and shoved open the nearest door. The room was empty. She swept Michiru up in her arms and carried her across the room to the nearest bed. Gently, she placed her lover down and brushed several strands of turquoise hair out of Michiru's face. In the weak light of the flashlight, she could see that her partner was pale and sweating, though her cheeks were flushed. The cuts littering her neck had stopped oozing blood, but they had turned an ugly dark red, and the skin around them looked puffy and swollen.

"I think you've been poisoned," she said, hardly aware of speaking the words.

"I know," Michiru said, barely moving her lips. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe, though whether that was because of the poison or the fact that her neck was swelling, she wasn't sure. "Look for... see if you can find..."

Her voice trailed off, but Haruka understood. As the soldier of death and rebirth, part of the way that Hotaru's powers had manifested was in the ability to heal. If she could find Hotaru or Usagi, one of them might be able to heal Michiru. With that thought in mind, even though she didn't like the thought of leaving Michiru alone, Haruka raced out of the room and shoved her wind down the hall, causing every door on the hallway to slam open. She peered into every single one, searching for not only Hotaru and Usagi, but for anyone. All of the rooms proved to be empty, even the one that Chibi-Usa and Hotaru shared. Cursing, she returned to Michiru.

"There's no one around," she panted, placing her hand against Michiru's forehead. The heat coming from Michiru's skin was even more alarming. "No one answered when I called."

"Then go," Michiru said, forcing her eyes to focus on Haruka's face. Her dark blue eyes were filled with pain. She might not want to die, but she could see now that her time had been numbered ever since the lights went out and that youma appeared. Her hand trembled from both fear and exhaustion as she reached up and cupped Haruka's cheek. "Find the princess and protect her, just like we promised. Maybe she'll have the grace and mercy to grant life to me again."

"Michi..." Haruka's voice was a mere whisper. She reached up and placed her hand over Michiru's. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave Michiru here to die alone. It was almost unbearable to contemplate. But the two of them had made a promise a long time ago to leave the other behind if they were ever incapacitated to the point where they couldn't go on, and she knew that she couldn't go back on it. Still, she had to force herself to let go and stand up.

The door slammed shut.

"What the – "

A low laugh was the only thing that answered her, and Haruka gritted her teeth.

"Come out here and face me," she spat, looking around the darkened room unsuccessfully. "Where are you? How dare you think that you could succeed where the combined power of Chaos and Galaxia failed?"

That laughter, again, followed by a new sound that she couldn't quite discern at first. Her dark green eyes widened when she realized what it was. Previously, the only light in the room was that of her flashlight, which was already beginning to sputter and die. Now, however, she could see perfectly, because a dull green light had grown over the walls, windows, floor, ceiling, and door while she was distracted with Michiru. Trickling from those planes of light was water, which quickly began to rise. The cold liquid was already washing over her ankles.

"Shit," Haruka breathed, already seeing the end result. With no way for the water to drain from the room, she would drown. It would have been alright for Michiru, because her mutant powers had given her the ability to breathe under water, but her partner was already succumbing to the poison.

Without thinking, she ran to the door and grabbed the knob. As expected, it refused to turn for her. She pounded on the door and even used her wind powers to try and break through, but the wind bounced harmlessly off of the green light, and it tired her out more quickly than she had expected. The air in the room was stale, and there was no way for new wind to come to her aid. Haruka cursed out loud and turned back to the bed, knowing that the water was already up to her thighs. It was beginning to seep over the bed where Michiru lay.

"Michi." Stumbling back to the bed, she picked up Michiru's limp wrist and felt for a pulse. For a moment, she felt nothing, and she had almost started to panic before she felt it – weak and thready, and getting slower by the minute. Impulsively, Haruka stretched out on the bed beside her partner and took Michiru into her arms. She buried her face into that soft hair and took a deep breath. If this was the end, at least she was getting to spend it with the person who mattered the most. The water began to rise faster, and Haruka had just enough time to contemplate who they were leaving behind before it reached the ceiling and completely swallowed them whole.

**333333**

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

Yaten turned around and looked at Minako with a cool light in her pale green eyes. "I didn't realize you cursed so much, Minako-chan."

Minako let out a long, aggravated sigh. The one time that she would have been able to glomp onto Yaten's arm without making the silver-haired girl angry, and she had no interest in doing so. The two of them had been down in the kitchen when the lights went out, and Yaten had immediately known the cause of it. She'd just spent the past hour telling Minako horror stories about the things that Rehanne had done on Kinmoku, so the blonde was currently scared of her wits... and she suspected that Yaten was, too, though she'd never admit it.

"I normally don't," she replied, wiggling her fingers for effect. The soft orange beams of light bounced around the hallway, creating an eerie look against the shadows. "But I think this is an occasion that calls for it, don't you?"

A smirk was the only answer she got before the two of them kept walking. Minako glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye and bit her lip hard. Unlike the earth senshi, the Starlights didn't really have any powers when they were in their civilian forms. Their strength and speed was slightly enhanced, but she had the sneaking suspicion that wouldn't really give them anything over Rehanne, and she guessed that Yaten knew it, too, if the stressed look on her face was any indication. Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten were basically sitting ducks for whenever Rehanne choose to attack. Not that Minako really thought that her 'mutant' powers would give her that much of an edge, but it was still something.

"Ne," she said softly, nudging Yaten's shoulder. "Don't be too worried, okay? You know things will turn out for the best."

"I just have a hard time with this blind loyalty you all seem to adhere to," Yaten said, rubbing her eyes and squinting a little. "I mean, I would have gladly served Princess Kakyuu for the remainder of my days, but that doesn't mean that we expected her to be able to fix everything that went wrong."

"Princess Kakyuu is a wonderful ruler, but she's not Usagi-chan," answered Minako quietly. She looked deep into Yaten's eyes. "Yaten-kun, you don't have to be afraid of believing in Usagi. It was hard for Haruka-san and Michiru-san at first, too, until they learned that it was alright."

Yaten scoffed. "Don't compare us to those two."

Minako laughed and thought ruefully that she should have expected that answer. "Okay, I won't, but it's still the truth."

Before Yaten could respond, Minako's flickering light caught the appearance of something ahead of them. The two of them tensed, and Yaten's fingers curled more tightly around the baseball bat that she'd been carrying around with her. Minako glanced at her and then began readying a beam of light that was not unlike her crescent beam. But she didn't get the chance to release it, because Kitty and Kurt stumbled around the corner at that moment.

"Oh my god! We, like, finally found someone!" Kitty cried.

"Kurt!" Minako shouted, immediately flinging herself into her boyfriend's eyes. Kurt clutched at her almost desperately.

"M-Minako... I-I saw them..."

"Who, Kurt?" Surprised by the pain in his voice, Minako pulled back slightly and looked into his golden eyes. Her heart sank at what she saw there, and she swallowed hard. "Who?"

"Those two new professors," said Kitty when it became clear that Kurt couldn't bring himself to say it. In the dim light, her face looked pale and frightened, and she seemed very young. "Professor Kaioh and Professor Tenoh. Kurt says he came across their bodies. Both of them are dead."

Minako went white and would have stumbled had it not been for Kurt's deathly tight grip on her arms.

This time, it was Yaten who swore out loud. "Fucking bitch, you'll _never_ get away with this!" she screamed up at the ceiling, incensed at the thought that _any_ senshi had died at the hands of someone like that. "Come out and _truly _fight with us instead of hiding like a coward!"

There was no answer for a few minutes. Then, like a wind whispering across the floor, came the sound of low, chilling laughter. Yaten's eyes widened, and Minako shivered. Kitty whimpered. Gradually, the laughter died away, replaced by a scraping and creaking sound in the next corridor, like something heavy was making its way towards them. A harsh, guttural growl preceded the sight that awaited them: a tall, hulking youma that had knives for hands and blood splashed across the front of it.

Kitty screamed and reacted instinctively. Her hands flew out and she grabbed Kurt and Yaten by the shoulders. Because Kurt had Minako enfolded in his arms, Kitty's power extended to her as well. The four of them went shadowy and see-through and dropped straight through the floor just as the youma raised a hand and shot a barrage of knives at them. When the knives slammed harmlessly into the floor where the four of them had just been standing, it bellowed with rage.

It was a long fall to the ground below them. Minako hit with a jarring thud that knocked all of the breath out of her. She gasped quietly, trying not to wince as an ugly pain shot up her right ankle. At the very least, she was pretty sure that she'd sprained it badly, possibly even broken it. Knowing that it didn't bode well for her chance of survival, she pushed herself into a sitting position and turned to see how the others had fared. Yaten was rubbing her side, and Kitty's head was bleeding, but they looked mostly okay. Kurt had landed with no problems at all.

"Thanks Kitty," Minako said finally. "That was smart thinking."

Kitty managed a faint smile. "I wasn't really thinking at the time, but thanks."

"Kurt, why didn't you teleport?" she asked, looking at her imp in confusion. She remained sitting on the ground even after the others had stood up.

"I tried a couple of times," he said, reaching down to pull her to her feet. Minako managed to conceal her grimace as she reluctantly got up. Her ankle buckled when she tried to put weight on it. "That's how I found Kitty. I can still do it – this barrier seems to have no effect on mutant powers – but I have no idea of where I will end up. I got the garage when I was aiming for the professor's office, and they're on opposite sides of the building." He looked around. "The air feels... bad. It sticks to me when I walk. I think it's throwing me off."

"Then we'll have to walk," said Yaten, her keen eyes seeing far too much when she looked at Minako, who shifted and glared back in reply. "Any idea of where we are?"

"Where were we upstairs?" Kitty asked, looking around. Out of the four of them, she likely knew the Institute the best, as she'd spent many days exploring with her ability to walk through any surface she desired. "I wasn't really paying attention when we found you guys."

Minako thought for a moment, trying not to get distracted by a dull whirring and clicking sound. "I think we were near the Western Corridor," she said, naming the branch of the Institute that housed most of the medical bays.

Kitty's eyes went wide. "Fuck."

Neither Minako nor Yaten knew what this meant, but Kurt and Kitty certainly did. Without a word, Kitty grabbed Yaten and made the two of them shadows, just in time to avoid the giant knife that sliced the air. Yaten choked when it went straight through them. Kurt leapt straight up into the air, taking Minako with him, and rebounded off of the wall to avoid a set of lasers that had risen out of the floor. Minako twisted and managed to let fire with a handful of her own beams, destroying both weapons.

"Where the hell are we?" Yaten gasped.

"The Danger Room," Kurt and Kitty shouted together.

"And judging by the huge set of robots coming towards us, Logan was the last one in here," Kitty said with a very weak smile. "His sessions in here are famous."

"I don't think I want to know what they're famous for," Minako gulped.

The next few minutes were utter pandemonium. Lasers flashed through the air at every turn, explosions went off every few seconds, swords and knives and guns went wild, and every part of the Danger Room seemed to be alive at once. Kitty and Kurt had just enough time to explain that they needed to get to the safe part of the room before all hell broke loose. Kurt scooped Minako up in his arms and did his best to physically help her through the course, but it was difficult; he was more used to just bamfing to the exit, not fighting his way through. Kitty had an easier time; Yaten had been right next to her when the Danger Room went off, so the two of them made it to the far wall relatively quickly thanks to Kitty's powers. And sure enough, once they had crossed that white line, nothing attacked them. It took several minutes more before Kurt and Minako made it there.

"Remind me to speak to Professor Xavier about getting this place dismantled," Minako said, leaning heavily against the wall. Kurt was down on his knees next to her, breathing heavily. "Was that really just a normal setting? It wasn't the work of Rehanne?"

"Jean says that Logan likes to test himself," Kitty said tiredly, sweat running down her face. She fanned herself with her hand and added, "No one else ever comes in here when he's got the room set to the way he wants it."

Minako was opening her mouth to respond when she heard that low whirring sound again. Her head whipped around as the bright flash of a laser permeated the darkness. Her body moved forward without waiting for her to command it to, and she shoved Yaten out of the way hard. The silver-haired girl stumbled back in surprise as the green beam struck Minako, who gave off a single, agonized scream before she crumbled to the floor.

"Minako-chan!" Yaten shrieked. "You said we were safe here!"

"I-I thought we _were _safe behind the lines!" Kitty cried, kneeling next to their fallen comrade. "That's the way it always works."

"That was... Rehanne..." Minako gave a low groan and forced her eyes open. Her whole body felt so heavy. "Not... the Danger Room. I could... feel the darkness... in the attack."

"Why?" Yaten whispered, staring down at her. "You protected me again and this is all my fault. If I hadn't shouted for Rehanne to come out and fight..." She bit her lip and her green eyes filled with tears. "Why?"

"I told you once... that the Starlights... were important to us," Minako said, attempting a smile. "Yaten-kun... I knew she would be... aiming for you. Don't... blame yourself. Usagi-chan..." She paused to give a ragged gasp of pain when it felt like all the muscles in her body seized up at once. "Usagi-chan... will need to know... what you can... what you can... tell her... about... Rehanne. Protect... her... Believe... in her..."

"Minako-chan..."

"I won't leave you here," Kurt said, speaking for the first time since Minako had been attacked. He reached down, intending to gather her into his arms. Minako cried out, unable to help herself as waves of pain rolled through her body at the contact. Kurt yanked his hands away, horrified.

"Can't you try teleporting?" Kitty asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Kurt looked grief-stricken. His normally playful demeanour was completely gone. "I don't know where we would end up, Kitty," he said. "My senses are not working properly. We could end up fifty feet above the Institute. And, besides, I'm not sure Minako should be moved right now, anyway." He knelt down next to her. Minako had fallen unconscious, and her breathing was laboured. "You two go on ahead. I'll stay here with her."

Yaten took a deep breath to try and control herself. It was happening again, and if she let herself stand here and think about it for too long, she would break down into hysterical tears. Instead, she looked carefully at Kurt. She didn't know him at all, and had in fact been a little weirded out by his appearance, but she'd seen the happiness that lit Minako's blue eyes when he was around. There was none of that joy visible in his eyes now, but there was a fierce determination to protect Minako to the best of his ability... and for now, that would do.

"Make sure you keep her safe," Yaten said raggedly. "Don't let anything else happen to her, alright?"

"We can't just leave them here!" Kitty exclaimed.

"We don't have a choice. I have to get to Usagi," Yaten told her, struggling to keep her voice from quivering. "There are things that she needs to know. But I don't know anything about the layout of this place. I'll never make it if you don't help me. Minako can't be moved, and if Kurt comes with us, she'll be helpless." She paused to study Kitty's uncertain face and added quietly, "You can believe in Usagi, Kitty. She can make everything right again."

Kitty wavered, looking from Kurt and the fallen Minako to the girl in front of her. "Alright," she said finally, reluctantly. "We'll go."

Kurt was vaguely aware of Yaten kneeling to place a kiss on Minako's forehead, of Kitty squeezing his shoulder hard and telling him to be careful, of the two of them becoming shadows before they walked through the wall of the Danger Room. But his attention was mostly concentrated on Minako, whose every breath seemed to be a constant struggle. He reached out and took her small, slender hand into his, holding it tightly, and vowed to do whatever it took to protect the woman he loved, for as long as it took.

* * *

**A/N:** Hard chapter for me to write. I hate character deaths, and there's a lot more coming up. Please review!


	27. Chapter 26

**Warning:** There will be some **character deaths**. I warn you of that very strongly. Believe it or not, this was actually a part of my original ending, too (probably the only part I recall). It won't be terribly gruesome or descriptive, but you've got fair warning, so I don't want to hear any complaints.

**A/N:** Another chapter with yet more characters being torn apart... you'd almost swear that I hated them. There are three separate scenes in this chapter, and I hope that the people who will be around to participate in the final battle are clear. Basically, if they make it out of the scene alive, they'll be there. Enjoy.

* * *

Setsuna was staring off into space. Normally, this would have been slightly unnerving, but Luna, Artemis, and Diana were taking it so calmly that Mamoru figured this was at least a somewhat common occurrence. He stood in silence, glancing from his girlfriend to the three cats. The reunion between he and Setsuna had been interrupted about two hours ago when the three felines had come racing in with a panicked story about having been unexpectedly transported out of the Institute shortly before it was enshrouded in a wave of darkness. None of them were able to enter, and repeated attempts by he and Setsuna were equally unsuccessful.

"What do you think is going on in there?" he asked, looking at Luna and Artemis.

Luna made a small mewling sound of distress. "I just know something awful is going on," she cried. "Usagi-chan is in danger again, and we can't help her!"

Mamoru tried not to show how distressed her comment made him, as he wanted to appear strong, but that was hard. Usagi might not have been his Queen anymore, but he still felt the same urge to protect her. He suspected that would never disappear. "Don't worry, Luna," he said kindly. "The senshi are still with her. You know that they would do anything to protect Usagi."

All three cats looked up at him, and he knew in an instant that that was exactly what they were afraid of. A chill ran down his spine and he glanced back at Setsuna, wishing that she could snap out of her daze and help him. He wasn't very good at comfort, being that he'd never really been required to do it when he was growing up, and he felt helpless when Diana whimpered and huddled low to the ground. Helplessness wasn't an emotion that the prince handled well.

"If only we could just get inside," he uttered, glaring down at the ground. But nothing had worked. The Institute and a good portion of the grounds were covered in a shield of what appeared to be constantly moving storm clouds that were almost black in color. Luna and Artemis had tried to perform scans, but the clouds shifted continuously, meaning that there was no opportunity for them to find a weakness. Setsuna had become Sailor Pluto and gone to see if she could help, but the second she got too close, her transformation reversed and she was left in her civilian form when the clouds attacked with streaks of green lightening. She'd barely been able to form a portal and escape in time.

"This enemy is more dangerous than any other one that we have faced," Artemis said finally, rubbing his cheek comfortingly against Diana's. "If Sailor Pluto can't get close to the clouds without her senshi crystal deactivating, then that probably means that Usagi-san and the others have the same problem. How can they fight without their senshi powers?" A desolate expression flashed into the cat's pale blue eyes. "They're helpless."

"Not completely," Mamoru pointed out. "The whole reason they were brought to the Institute in the first place was because their powers were showing up in their everyday lives. That's why they were branded as mutants." He remembered when the power that had designated him as a mutant had first shown up. Stepping into a wild and almost dead garden and watching it burst into the healthiest bloom he'd ever seen in the span of about five seconds was a shocking experience, to say the least. "The senshi can still fight, and I know they will. None of them would go down easily. Whomever this enemy is, she or he is in for a rough time."

Setsuna choose that moment to gasp and reel back like she'd been slapped. Mamoru hurriedly reached out and grabbed her around the waist before she could collapse. He was stunned when she fell into his arms and clung to him, shaking all over. Gently, he smoothed her hair away from her face and noticed that her eyes were still unfocused. Quickly, he brought his hand forward and concentrated. A rose bloomed on the palm of his hand, and the sharpness of the fragrance was enough to make Setsuna sneeze. She blinked up at him a moment later.

"Mamoru?" she said shakily.

"Set, what happened? What did you see?"

"It was horrible." Setsuna closed her eyes and shook her head. "This enemy... her name is Rehanne. She was a part of Princess Kakyuu's royal circle on Kinmokusei before Chaos attacked. When that happened, he brainwashed her into thinking that Kakyuu was an enemy. I don't know why she wasn't freed from his influence when Galaxia was purified by Sailor Moon, but she wasn't. Her presence on Kinmokusei tore the planet apart when Kakyuu returned. She poisoned the thinking of many people against their princess, and the only reason she came here is because the Sailor Starlights were too powerful and too ready for her. It was pure coincidence that she arrived during a time when most of the senshi didn't have their memories, and it enabled her to set up this barrier. Her goal was to catch us by surprise."

"She succeeded," Mamoru said grimly, closing his arms around her. He reflected on those small bits of information, stomach churning. The Starlights... he didn't really know them at all, yet he knew of their loyalty to Usagi. It was hard to miss. "They're here too, aren't they?" he asked, knowing that he was right. "There's no way they would have let her come without warning Usagi."

"Yes, they are. I caught a sense of their arrival shortly before the barrier formed," Setsuna murmured. "I think that was the catalyst that set Rehanne off. They can share too much information with Usagi." She looked up, her eyes glittering with fear. "The three of them will definitely be targets during this mayhem."

"I get the feeling that everyone will be target," he answered. "Did you see how it will end?"

Setsuna shook her head, a frown on her face. "No. The Time Gates are murky and unsure. It is very rare for them to be unable to get a reading on a situation, but sometimes it does happen. It means that there is a decision waiting to be made... one that will change the fate of the universe as we know it."

Mamoru shivered and tightened his grip on her. There was a strong possibility that the world might be ending, because without Sailor Moon and the sailor senshi, the planet would be ripe for the picking for the first enemy that came along... and there was absolutely nothing he could do but sit back and watch. He hoped desperately that Usagi would be able to call up the strength to save the world yet again, even if she had to do it without the help of her senshi and the ginzuishou.

**333333**

The gardens of the Institute were a lovely, healthy and vibrant place. Or at least, they were before the clouds descended over them, instantly withering every plant and causing every flower to fade away and die. Makoto stood by the rose bush and gently brushed her finger against one of the blooms, wincing at the feeling that arose from it. The luxurious, green feeling of growth was completely gone, and it was likely that it was never going to return. The clouds had stolen all of the energy that the plants had to give.

"This is not good," Seiya muttered from where she was seated on one of the benches. Her face was pale. The message from the screen had obviously gotten to her. "I don't know why Rehanne never used that barrier on Kinmokusei. I didn't even know that it was possible to make a barrier to withhold sailor crystals."

"I would think that's why she never used it, being that she caught all of us by complete surprise," Makoto muttered, giving up on the rose bush. She turned to look at the final occupant of their group, who had already been in the gardens when she and Seiya arrived. "Rogue, what do you think? Where would Professor Xavier want us to go if something like this happened?"

Rogue pushed the white strand of her hair out of her eyes and was silent for a moment. She'd been given a basic rundown of what was going on while Seiya was updating Makoto about Rehanne and what had been done to Kinmoku. However, she hadn't said a word the whole time. Mostly that was because she wasn't quite sure what to say. Princesses? Evils from beyond the galaxy? It sounded like one of Bobby's video games, except that it was really happening. Her skin prickled and she struggled not to show how uneasy she felt.

"He'd probably want us to get out of here," she said finally. "But we've already tried that. So the conference room, maybe? Or his office? I don't know."

"How could not know?" Seiya asked, annoyed.

"Because when the Institute is under attack, we _run_!" Rogue snapped reproachfully. She didn't appreciate getting swept up into this attack that might end up costing not only her life, but the lives of the people she loved.

Seiya winced. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Concealing a sigh, Rogue stood up and turned to look at the building. At least out here, they could see, sort of. Light didn't really get through the clouds, but the clouds themselves provided a greyish, murky sort of glow that meant they weren't in complete darkness. The Institute itself, however, was another story entirely. Dark and foreboding without the slightest hint of light within, it looked as though the building was completely dead, and had been so for a hundred years. She controlled a shiver, knowing that there were really people inside and feeling grateful that she was on the outside.

"We have to go in."

"What?" Astonished, she turned to Makoto and looked at the woman like she was insane. "Why?"

"We have to get to Usagi-chan," Makoto replied apologetically. "You can wait out here if you want."

"Because being alone outside the creepy building is a much better alternative to going inside?" she asked sarcastically. Something brushed against her foot, and she looked down quickly, suspicious. There was nothing at her feet but a vine from the garden. "Why can't we help from out here?"

"Sure," Seiya said. "Give me one good thing we can do from out here, and we'll stay."

Rogue opened her mouth, and then closed it, because Seiya had a good point and she didn't know what to say in return. What could they do from outside? They couldn't escape and so they had no way to get help. But then, what exactly could they do from the inside? The only one who could defend them was Makoto, as she possessed the power to summon and create lightening at will. Seiya didn't seem to be a mutant, and Rogue's only power would severely incapacitate Makoto if she were to use it. And as far as Rogue could tell, it would be a hell of a lot safer out here than it was in there.

Or at least, that's what she thought.

This time, when something slid against her legs, she kicked absently as she tried to decide the best way for her to explain this to Makoto, since Seiya seemed unlikely to listen to reason. When the thing didn't disappear, she looked down impatiently. Her eyes widened. The scream that immediately built in her throat was cut off when she was sharply jerked off of her feet by the vine that had coiled around her ankles. Makoto and Seiya sprang to attention immediately with faces of identical horror as she swung gently back and forth a good ten feet off of the ground.

"Help me!" Rogue shrieked.

"Stay calm, Rogue." Makoto held up her hands and created a small seed of green lightening. With practiced aim, she tossed it at the vine that was holding Rogue aloft. The ball bit through the soft flesh of the plant easily, dumping Rogue into Seiya's arms. Seiya lowered her to the ground and began tearing the remaining bits of plant off of her ankles while Makoto took up a protective stance in front of them.

"Still think it's better outside?" asked Seiya, tossing the plants as far away as she could.

Rogue shuddered. "I never want to see another flower again," she said emphatically.

"Let's go," Makoto ordered.

The three of them broke into a run, heading towards the doors of the Institute, which now seemed much further away than they had before. Rogue was in the lead with Seiya and then Makoto, who kept glancing over her shoulder to make sure nothing was following them. They were nearing the end of the garden when Makoto cried out and the two of them turned. She was being dragged back towards the garden by a vine that had wrapped around her left leg. Lunging forward, Rogue caught hold of Makoto's hands and pulled hard. Seiya grabbed her around the waist.

"Don't let go!" Makoto cried fearfully.

"I won't," panted Rogue. "Seiya, see if you can find something to cut it!"

"Got it." Seiya released Rogue and ran towards the gardening shed.

Makoto gave a sharp squeal of fright when the loss of Seiya's weight allowed the vine to yank them several feet closer. "Pull harder!"

"I'm trying," Rogue groaned, straining. She was grateful that she was wearing her gloves, or else she wouldn't have been able to help at all. "Seiya, hurry!"

She was answered by the kind of anguished scream that sent chills down her spine. It cut off abruptly.

"Seiya!" Makoto shrieked, craning her neck desperately to see the Starlight. "SEIYA!"

There was no answer this time, but the vine abruptly let go of Makoto. Caught off guard, Rogue tripped and fell backwards, and the force of the motion meant that Makoto landed on top of her. For a moment, they both simply laid there in silence, struggling to understand what had happened. Then Makoto leapt to her feet and raced towards the gardening shed, calling Seiya's name. Rogue staggered as she got up, but she was able to run after Makoto and grab her before she got too far.

"Wait!"

"Rogue, what are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Stop, Makoto. I think she's gone." A chill crawled up her back as she spoke the words, but Rogue knew it was the truth. No one could scream like_ that_ and still be alive. "We have to keep going."

"But.. But..." Makoto stared at her, looking lost.

"No Buts. Come on." Gently, Rogue laced their hands and tugged Makoto along. The brown-haired girl went reluctantly, though she kept looking back over her shoulder to where Seiya had disappeared. Rogue coaxed her along, keeping her eyes on the edge of the garden. Beyond that, she guessed – hoped, prayed – that they would be okay, because the plants couldn't reach that far, could they?

"Rogue... Rogue... Stop!"

"Why?" Rogue whined before she could stop herself. They were halfway across the lawn and the Institute was only about fifteen feet away. Dark as the building may have been, she suddenly found it very attractive and hated to stop.

"I need to take a breather." Makoto bent over and grimaced, gingerly pressing a hand to her side. Normally she was in such good shape that the dash across the lawn wouldn't have affected her at all, but her side ached with every step she took, and she was starting to wonder if maybe she'd broken something when she'd fallen to the ground. She couldn't help turning to look over her shoulder at the shed. The thought of leaving Seiya behind if she was still alive was nothing short of disturbing, but she also knew that it was what Seiya would have wanted. "Ugh, my side really hurts."

"Do you think you can keep going?" Rogue asked, her dark eyes flickering with concern.

"I think so." Makoto started to straighten and felt that tingle across the back of her neck – the one that meant something bad was going to happen. She spun and gaped at what she saw. The wall of moving plants swarming towards them was a good eight feet high and at least twenty feet wide, and was moving at a far faster clip than they could run. The only place for them to flee was to the Institute, but they'd never make it in time.

"Holy Hell..." Rogue breathed, eyes wide with terror. "What is that?"

Decision made, Makoto whirled and shoved her hard. "Go!"

"What? Without you? No!"

"GO!" Makoto bellowed, glaring at her. "We'll never make it if something doesn't slow them down. You don't have any powers to do it, and there's no point in both of us standing here and dying. Every person that can make it will be a step closer to bringing that bitch down."

Still, Rogue hesitated. Her left hand went to the glove of her right hand and she paused, wanting to slide her glove off, wanting to grab Makoto's hand and absorb her power so that Makoto could run instead, _knowing_ that it was more important for Makoto to go and that she should at least give the option. "Makoto – "

"Damn it, I said go!"

Rogue went. She took off without waiting for any more instruction, running headlong towards the house as fast as she could. Behind her, she heard the cackle of electricity and Makoto's triumphant yell, followed by the sound of a thousand tiny voices screaming in pain. By the time she got to the door, all was silent. Slowly, Rogue turned, and saw a wave of desolation behind her. Makoto lay in the middle of a sea of fried plants, her body so still that Rogue _knew_ she was dead. For a minute, she just stood and stared, until she registered that more plants were heading her way from the garden. That's when she fled into the safety of the Institute and slammed the doors behind her.

Inside, alone in the complete darkness, she put her hands to her face and slid to the floor with her back against the door. She didn't move even when she felt the distinct _thump_ of the plants hitting the door. All she could do was sit there in shame, for she had fled when she might have saved Makoto _and_ Seiya, and cry.

**333333**

"How is it that we haven't found anyone in this forsaken place?" Usagi demanded. Her hair was frazzled and her blue eyes were wild with fear and pain when she looked up at Logan. "I didn't think the Institute was so big."

"It's not," Logan told her, holding his hand out when she would have passed him. He tilted his head and considered the two pathways before them carefully. Nothing _seemed _to be moving, and he finally led Usagi down the hall towards Professor Xavier's office. "Whatever that girl did, it must have somehow distorted reality in here."

Usagi sighed and scrubbed her face free of any remaining tears with her hands. She'd been by the dormitory and hadn't found anyone except for Haruka and Michiru, who were both dead. The scene had very nearly undone her completely, especially when the ginzuishou still refused to answer her call. Logan had had to physically carry her away from the both of them, and the knowledge that she'd left the bodies of her beloved senshi behind, combined with the fact that she didn't know the fate of anyone else, was clearly still tormenting the girl.

"Look," he said finally. "You have to hold it together."

"I know that," Usagi answered sharply. "I'm okay now. It's just – "

Her hands closed around her body loosely in a poor pantomime of a hug. Logan's heart went out to her, but he forced himself to continue along the corridor until he came to Xavier's office. Without waiting to see if the man would answer, his claws popped out and he easily lunged forward and shove the steel through the wood. He drew his claws down to the bottom of the door, then gave it one easy kick. The wood splintered, allowing them easy entry.

"Chuck? You here?" he called out.

The room was empty. Usagi wandered inside while Logan went to check the adjoining rooms, her eyes trailing over the bookshelves where she had found that book of fairy tales that Chibi-Usa had been so enjoying. Her eyes filled with fresh tears at the thought of her daughters. Not knowing where they were, or if they were safe, was the scariest thing of all. She stepped over to the balcony window and rubbed her eyes, grateful for at least a little natural light, if anything that those clouds gave off could even be called that. That's when something happening on the grounds below caught her attention.

"Mako-chan!" she cried, pressing her hands against the panes of the glass. "Seiya! Rogue!"

Logan came quickly when he heard her voice. He was at her side in an instant, watching at the three of them left the garden and started running towards the Institute. Usagi's face was split by a tremendous smile as she watched her friends come. When the plant grabbed Makoto, her smile tightened a little, though she seemed relieved when Rogue and Seiya acted as fast as they did, and she even let out a sigh of relief when Seiya turned towards the woodshed.

Then Seiya's agonized scream echoed across the yard, easily heard even by the two of them within the Institute. Usagi's smile vanished entirely and a choked sob escaped her lips, though she didn't begin to cry. One small fist rose and pounded uselessly against the glass. Logan was barely aware of the fact that she was sliding to her knees as he watched, horrified by the sight of the plants that were still chasing Makoto and Rogue.

He knew why Rogue stopped, and he knew why she hesitated when Makoto spoke to her and then pointed towards the castle. Was he relieved when Rogue turned and ran, or disappointed? A heaviness settled about his shoulders as Makoto faced the plants. Green electricity sparked to life in her hands, swiftly running up her body to form a kind of shield. She threw out her arms and the electricity followed, sweeping down the row around the plants before converging inwards. And in the center of it all was Makoto, body straining as she fought to keep every last plant away from Rogue and the Institute.

Makoto collapsed moments later, body twitching for several seconds before she went completely still, and Usagi made a strangled sound that snapped Logan out of his daze. He knelt quickly and enveloped her. She was trying to speak, to say that names of her fallen comrades, but she was sobbing too hard to do so. Heart cold, he gently rubbed her back and tried to soothe her, though it was useless. How did you help someone who had just watched people they love be killed in front of them? There was no comfort for that.

"Usagi..."

"I'm... going... to... kill... her..." The blonde wept.

The low laughter echoed around them again.

* * *

A/N: And so ends another chapter... we're getting close to the finish, here. I estimate another four to five chapters and that will be it. Please review!


	28. Chapter 27

Hino Rei was not very happy. She strode quickly down the hall of the Institute, not bothered by the fact that tendrils of the darkness reached out to her as she walked by. The ball of flames that flared above the palm of her left hand was more than enough to keep the worst of it at bay. Unfortunately, it did little to help the pounding headache that had seized her temples the instant the clouds had formed around the Institute; a headache that had only grown worse with every minute that went by. Her senses were screaming at her to get out of this godforsaken barrier, but that was impossible for more than one reason.

"Usagi-chan, where _are_ you?" Rei whispered, her voice echoing down the corridor. Knowing Haruka's love for anything mechanical, she'd gone to the garage in hopes of finding the soldier of wind, but no one had been around. She was pretty sure that she was now almost to the kitchen, where she thought Makoto might be... or so she hoped. The halls all looked the same in the dark, and it was hard to keep from getting turned around.

Suddenly, a shadow leapt out from the wall and seized her arm. Rei's violet eyes flashed as she turned and lifted her right hand. Fire streamed from her fingers, curling around the shadow and evaporating it into a mist of steam that stung when it brushed against her wrist. Snatching her hand away, she cursed under her breath and gingerly rubbed the affected spot. If only she could have transformed into Sailor Mars at that moment... she would have taken a lot of pleasure in aiming a flame sniper at the nearest pool of darkness. It was one thing to have her mutant power at her disposal, but it would never be as strong as the fire she wielded as the soldier of fire.

"I'm getting really sick of this," she muttered, continuing on. Before long, she came to an intersection, where she looked around carefully, searching for something – anything – that looked even the slightest bit familiar. If she was remembering correctly, the kitchen was down the right hall to the left. Carefully, fingers outstretched to deal with any shadows that tried to attack, she crept down the corridor. Sure enough, about halfway down, the double doors of the kitchen came into view. Rei enshrouded her hand in fire before she reached out. The shadows fled from her flames, allowing her to push the door open with ease. Then she froze, eyes widening in shocked disbelief.

Professor Charles Xavier was sitting, presumably in his wheelchair, just inside the kitchen, at the small table. There was a half empty cup of tea in front of him, which he took a sip from as she watched. The only part of his body that was visible was from his stomach and up; his lower body was covered in the swirling darkness of the shadows. And even as she stood there and gazed at him, horrified, the shadows inched a little higher, devouring him.

"Professor – " Rei started to lunge forward, flames sparkling around her fingers.

/Rei, stop./

The mental voice stopped her in her tracks. Rei hovered in the doorway, lost and uncertain. "But they're going to kill you," she whispered, unable to take her eyes away.

/I know./ His voice was warm and comforting even within the grip of death. /But you have a much larger fight to participate in. It would cost you dearly to free me, and that's provided that you survive the fight. I want you to leave me here and go on. Find your friends and help them fight./

The thought of just leaving him there was almost unbearable. Even when she'd lost her memory and been living as a normal person, life had always been strange. But when she had started setting things on fire, she'd been just plain terrified, and the people around her had only made everything that much worse. Professor Xavier had appeared like an angel from heaven and assured her that she wasn't as weird as she thought. He'd taken her in and given her a home, and even though she now knew she had a place where she belonged, that was something that Rei would never forget.

/It's alright, Rei./ A soothing presence, like a father's embrace, enveloped her. /Please go./

"Professor, Usagi is..."

/I know,/ he said again, looking at her for the first time. There was a strength in his eyes that gave her courage. /Many of you think very loudly./

Rei blushed slightly even as she smiled tremulously. "It will be okay," she said, because if there was one thing she had always believed in, it was the power of Tsukino Usagi.

Xavier nodded and gave her an encouraging smile, and that allowed her to turn and take one halting step after another into the depths of the darkness, heading towards the pool. At one point she hesitated, almost turned, but felt a mental push that enabled her to keep going. He was relieved that she had. If Rei had turned back and seen the shadows crawling up over his chest and shoulders, she would have felt compelled to free him no matter how much he wanted her to go. Taking one last breath, Xavier closed his eyes and tried to ignore the looming feeling of numbness. At least it didn't hurt.

**333333**

Ororo Munroe felt it when the tenuous connection between she and Professor Xavier, a connection that had existed for as long as she had been a teacher at the school, snap like thin wire. She drew in a sharp breath and her head lifted quickly as a grim smile touched her lips. Until that point, Ororo had been in her room as the professor had requested, doing her best to break through the stormy clouds that had swarmed over the Institute. But now that Professor Xavier was dead, she could no longer afford the time needed to search for a weakness in the barrier and break through.

"Professor..." she whispered. Pain flashed through her, though she closed her eyes and tried to keep it at bay. Swiftly, she rose and went to the window. The clouds that loomed over the mansion would not respond to her commands no matter how hard she tried. After all, normally it would have been a simple matter for the weather goddess to dispell a storm. She opened her window and winced when she felt the wrongness of the air. Not even the sweet scent of the herbs around her window could offer her comfort. This would not end well.

Almost as though the clouds had heard her thoughts and decided to follow through on the threat, thunder boomed in the distance, and several strands of sickly green lightening leapt free of the clouds, came together into one lethal band, and headed straight for her. It would have struck, and killed, a human or a lesser mutant. Ororo merely lifted her hand and formed a shield out of the wind. The lightening bounced off and hit the ground harmlessly, blackening the dead grass and causing small plumes of smoke to rise. Wrinkling her nose, she closed her window and stood for a moment, deep in thought.

Most of the students weren't actually at the Institute, and thank god for that. They had left on a field trip, chaperoned by Hank and a friend of Professor Xavier's. She didn't know what had happened to those who were left alive, but if this enemy was strong enough to take down the professor, she needed to find out. Grimly, she stripped out of her civilian clothes and donned the familiar garb of her X-men suit. It was time to go to war.

**333333**

Scott almost panicked when Jean suddenly cried out and collapsed on the ground, nearly landing on top of Chibi-Usa. Only the fact that he was used to acting like a leader during battles kept him from completely freaking out. He ran to the redhead's side and knelt beside her while the girls crowded around. Jean moaned faintly, her eyes fluttering, as he reached down and gently lifted the upper part of her body into his lap. Her face was pale and drawn, and he could feel small shudders wracking her body. Whatever had happened was bad.

"Jean, are you okay?" he asked, brushing several strands of hair out of her face.

"It's the professor..." she whispered, a soft sob escaping. "He's... he's... dead..."

Chibi-Usa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Hotaru hid her face in Chibi Chibi's soft hair as the child clutched at her dress. Scott nearly dropped Jean on the floor as he stared down at her in disbelief. Professor Xavier was _dead_? He had a hard believing it, and if it had been anyone except for Jean, he probably would have thought that it was a lie. But Jean had always thought of the professor as a father, and the two of them were especially close since they shared similar powers. There was no way that she would lie about this kind of thing. Which meant... if she was the one saying it...

"Oh God," he mouthed, cradling Jean close to his chest as she broke down into tears. He had to struggle to keep his own tears at bay as he tried to comfort her. How had this hell descended upon them?

"I can't believe Professor Xavier is gone," Chibi-Usa whispered, her crimson eyes sparkling with pain.

Hotaru took a deep breath and finally looked up, absently stroking Chibi Chibi's dark pink curls with a hand that trembled. She was the only one who appeared to be in control of her emotions. "It will be alright," she said softly. "The princess will fix things."

At first, no one seemed to have heard her. Scott and Jean were lost in their own world, holding each other close and trying to offer a comfort that simply wasn't possible. Jean's tears were finally slowing, and she drew back from Scott a little so that she could look up into his face and run her hands through his hair. Chibi-Usa had her hands on her locket and her head bowed, as though praying that the rose crystal would answer her and come alive. Chibi Chibi whimpered softly, and that broke Chibi-Usa out of her daze.

"Yes, you're right," she said at last, unsteadily wiping her eyes. "We have to find Mama."

"Why do you call her that?" Jean asked without removing her eyes from Scott's face. Her voice was remarkably steady for someone who had just been sobbing. "She's your sister, not your mother."

"It's a long story," said Hotaru, exchanging a glance with Chibi-Usa.

"Too long," added the pink-haired girl. "Please, we have to keep going. I think that we're getting close."

Somehow, Scott found the strength to stand up, and even the ability to pull Jean up with him. She staggered a little and leaned heavily against him, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. He wound an arm around her waist and picked up the one lit candle they had left. Jean had dropped hers when she collapsed and now, Chibi-Usa leaned down and picked it up. The flame had gone out, but it was a simple matter for her to place the wick of the candle against the one Scott held and give them a second source of light. Then she took Chibi Chibi from Hotaru, placed the little girl on the ground, and gave the candle to her dark-haired friend.

"Let's go," she said, taking Chibi Chibi by the hand.

The two X-Men went first. Scott found himself walking down the hall holding Jean's hand, something that normally would have been a source of delight. He squeezed her hand, noting that her fingers were soft and warm, and that he felt more capable with her beside him. She turned her head and gave him a tiny smile of thanks, which he returned. The two of them were completely caught up in comforting each other. Perhaps that's why he didn't even notice that the three children behind them had disappeared until they were more than halfway down the corridor. Jean was the first to notice when she realized that the hall had become darker, and she looked over her shoulder and gasped.

"Where did they go?" she exclaimed. "Chibi-Usa? Hotaru?"

Scott turned quickly, and his eyes widened. "They're gone," he said, shocked. The only sign that the three children had been there was the candle on the floor, about ten feet back. Jean started back towards it.

From within the shadows above the candle, there was a flicker of light. Slowly, a bubble of pale pink light formed, illuminating the little girl known only as Chibi Chibi. Her presence at the Institute was a mystery to most of the X-Men, who didn't understand why she was there, or who she was, or what powers she possessed. Chibi Chibi had her hands folded in front of her face, but she opened her eyes when the light grew brighter and looked at them. Her lips moved, speaking words too soft for them to hear. But the bubble of light responded, drifting towards them grand pushing the shadows away from Jean and Scott. This, in turn, caused the shadows to swarm around her.

"No!" Scott shouted, his hand going instinctively to his glasses.

"Don't," Chibi Chibi said. Her voice was so clear and grown-up that he froze. "It's alright."

"Where are Chibi-Usa and Hotaru?" Jean managed, digging her nails so hard into Scott's arm that he was starting to loose feeling as the bubble grew closer.

"Gone. Captured. You can go," the girl said, lowering her gaze. "Please go. My mother is going to need your help."

"No X-Men get left behind," Scott said determinedly. With a quick movement, he lifted the red quartz glasses. Red laser beams leapt from his eyes and pierced the shadows. A cry like that of an animal rose from the swirling depths, and Chibi Chibi flinched.

"Scott, stop! You're making it worse," said Jean urgently, calmly accessing the situation in spite of her panic. Every blast from Scott's lasers only caused the shadows to swarm that much closer to Chibi Chibi, who was now completely surrounded. The bubble of pink light had now surrounded the two of them, protecting Jean and Scott as opposed to the little girl. She felt her eyes mist with tears, hating the thought of being so helpless. "Isn't there a way?"

Chibi Chibi shook her head, curls waving. "Good-bye," she said with a cute little smile.

The light intensified, shining all around them. Jean squinted, struggling to keep her eyes on Chibi Chibi as the small girl disappeared into the shadows, but the strength of the light eventually forced her to turn her head into Scott's shirt for protection. Scott's arms came up around her body and he held on to her tightly, trying to blink away the spots that were dancing in front of his eyes. He didn't know where the light was taking them. For Jean's sake, he prayed it would be somewhere safe. For his own sake, he hoped it would be to the one who was behind this. It was time to fight back.

**333333**

Frustrated that his time with Makoto had been interrupted, Bobby had been doing laps in the pool to work off his extra energy when the doors swung open and a tall woman he didn't recognize marched inside, looking upset and aggravated. On her heels was one of the newer recruits to the Institute, a shorter girl with dark blue hair and eyes. She didn't look especially happy either. Curious, Bobby stopped and floated silently in the water, watching and listening as Mizuno Ami reached out and grabbed the older girl's arm, forcing her to stop.

"Taiki-san, would you please wait?" Ami pleaded. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way, but – "

"I just don't understand," Taiki said quietly. Her words reverberated around the room. "Why would Kakyuu-hime do such a thing?"

Ami sighed and searched her friend's face intently. She knew that Usagi had missed the Starlights desperately in the past months – they _all_ had – but she wasn't completely sure that the Starlights had felt the same way. "I don't know," she admitted, hating the words even as she spoke them. "I don't know enough about your princess to be able to say."

Taiki just shook her head and sat down hard on a bench. Unlike Yaten or Seiya, she wasn't prone to tempermental outbursts when she was upset or angry. For the most part, she preferred to keep her emotions hidden until she could deal with them later in private. But she hadn't been able to help herself this time. The three of them had dedicated their _lives_ to Princess Kakyuu from a very young age, sacrificing normal lives as commoners to become guardians. Knowing that the woman had been willing to give them up hurt more than she had expected that it would, especially because she couldn't discern a sensible reason for her to have done so.

"It just doesn't make sense," she uttered finally.

Face softening with sympathy, Ami sat down beside her and looked down at her lap. She could understand where Taiki was coming from a lot better than she wanted to admit. For all that Usagi was a wonderful person, there were times when she didn't seem to conform to any sort of logic, and that made things difficult for someone like Ami to process. It had taken a long time for Ami to get used to the idea that sometimes things just didn't have an explanation – they just _were_. Perhaps this was one of those times.

"Maybe..." she offered hesitantly, "It's just that, Seiya said that Kakyuu-sama thought you guys would be happier here on Earth. That you didn't really belong on Kinmokusei any more. Maybe... she did it out of love."

If possible, Taiki only looked more bewildered. "But it doesn't make_ sense_," she repeated. "Now they will have to train new soldiers to take our place. The planet will be vulnerable while that happens. Kakyuu-hime will be in danger. Why should our happiness now take precedence over that?"

Ami smiled just a little. "Sounds like Kakyuu-sama has been taking lessons from Usagi-chan," she joked. "Taiki-san, I can't say why she did it. No one can except for Kakyuu-sama herself, and since she's already left, I don't think that's a question she wanted to answer." She reached out and laid a hand on Taiki's shoulder, causing violet eyes to meet blue. "But I can tell you that I know she hopes that you'll be happy here in some way, even if it's not the way you thought you would be."

It hadn't taken long for Bobby to realize he was eavesdropping on what was basically an incredibly private conversation, and he felt guilty for not letting the two women know that the pool was occupied as soon as they walked in. As quietly as possible, he swam to the far end of the pool and used the ladder to haul himself out, shivering as he did. The air was much colder in the room than he'd expected. A cheerful grin crossed his face as he imagined seeking Makoto out and asking her to warm him up. He scooped up his towel and headed for the door, hoping that Ami and Taiki wouldn't notice him slipping out.

Except the doors wouldn't open. Bobby stared down at them, completely befuddled and wondering if Kurt was playing some sort of joke, before he realized that the doors actually had a sheen of ice over them. The handles were frozen solid and didn't move a bit, even when he put his full weight against them. The skin on his hands flushed bright red and began to ache, and he swore quietly, jerking them away and tucking them underneath his armpits for warmth. What was going on?

Even as that thought passed through his mind, a long, low laugh echoed around them. The lights went out and the water in the pool crystallised instantly into ice when the temperature dropped ten degrees. Rehanne's message began to play across the ice, as though someone was projecting the images. Bobby watched them silently and didn't understand a single word. Ami clearly didn't either. Taiki turned white and was running towards the door by the time the message was halfway through. She threw herself as the doors and began fumbling with the frozen handles, not seeming to notice the cold.

"There has to be some way to get these doors open," she said, fighting with the handles.

"I've been trying. It won't work," Bobby told her, wrapping his towel around his shoulders and shivering. It was flimsy protection. His body was still damp from the pool water, and that plus the fact that he was dressed in a bathing suit was only making the cold seem that much worse. "They're f-frozen s-shut and it's g-getting c-colder in h-here."

"We have to get out of here. Now." Taiki's voice was urgent. "Or we're going to die."

"Die?" He looked at her with wide eyes, protests rising to his lips. Before he could say anything else, a blast of pale blue ice shot past them both, striking the doors, which bent slightly underneath the power. Bobby turned and saw Ami approaching the two of them with a determined expression on her face.

"Logically, those doors should be the weakest point. I think if we combine our powers, Bobby, then we'll be able to break through," she said, biting her lip. "If we could transform, I could use my computer, but obviously Rehanne was anticipating that." She sounded grim even as she raised her hand and formed another icy blast, which leapt free from her hand and struck the doors again in the exact same spot. The metal creaked and whined, but any dents that Ami was making were being frozen over with rock-hard ice as fast as she could make them.

"I d-don't think I can help. The only th-thing I can do is f-freeze things, and that's already happening," said Bobby. His feet began to ache with pain as a fine sheen of frost formed over the tile. He shuddered and knelt, hoping that he would find more warmth if he curled into a ball.

"We can't give up!" Ami said, sounding alarmed and frightened. "Taiki-san! Get up!"

Bobby opened his eyes to see that the brunette had collapsed forward onto the floor. Her eyes were barely open, and her breathing was getting slow and shallow. He shuddered, though it was barely noticeable with how hard his body was shaking, and closed his eyes for a minute. The fact that he was starting to get really tired was frightening, but he was almost too far gone to care. "It's just t-too c-cold," he said. "W-we... n-need t-to... warm up."

"How?" Quickly, she knelt beside Taiki and placed the older woman's head in her lap. By her guess, the temperature had fallen another ten or fifteen degrees in the space of a few minutes, yet Ami didn't feel cold at all. Even when she put her hand down on the frost-bitten floor, it felt normal. She gritted her teeth. "Fine time to discover a new aspect of this mutant power. Look, Bobby, come here. The three of us can share body heat until we figure out how to get out." Bobby didn't answer, and she glanced up. Her eyes widened in panic when she saw that he had fallen over sideways, eyes shut. "Bobby? Bobby! Wake up! You can't fall asleep!"

"S-sorry..." Taiki whispered, closing her eyes. "I g-guess w-we didn't d-do m-much f-for... f-for..." Her voice trailed off, and the only audible sound was the clicking of her teeth as her body shivered and spasmed. Slowly, her eyes slipped shut, and she fell limp.

"Taiki-san!" Ami cried, tears filling her eyes. "Please don't leave me."

There was no answer.

* * *

Next chapter: the final battle beings, as the senshi and x-men who are left take on Rehanne.


	29. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Only two more chapters after this. Thank god, because I really don't even think anyone is still reading... How depressing... Oh well. If anyone is... enjoy.

* * *

It had happened with no warning whatsoever. One moment, Usagi and Logan were walking down the corridor together, making their way towards the outside of the mansion. Then, before either of them could react, the floor had dropped out from underneath Logan and he had vanished without so much as a cry. She stared in shock and disbelief as the ground reformed, looking like nothing had ever happened. Even when she'd run forward crying his name and stood on top of the spot where he had disappeared, it refused to open. Logan was gone, and now she was completely alone.

"Logan..." she whispered, pressing her hands to her face. Seeing the bodies of her friends and knowing that most, if not all of them, were dead had really done a number on her confidence. What if Logan was dead, too? What if he was dying beneath her feet? The thought was enough to make her tremble, and right then, the only thing she wanted to do was break down into tears.

But no, she had to be strong. If she was the only one left, then it was up to her to defeat Rehanne. She sat down on the ground where he had fallen through and tried calm herself to the point where she could think things through. Rehanne was different from the other enemies she had faced. Most of them either wanted to take over the Earth, or wanted some form of revenge against the sailor senshi and the White Moon Kingdom. But Rehanne... even though her ultimate goal was to get revenge for Chaos' death, she was only coming here because she had failed on Kinmokusei. So just what had the Starlights done to repel her?

"Well, for one thing, the three of _them_ had the power to transform," she muttered. Bitterly, she traced her locket, her fingers following the familiar pattern. The slumbering crystal within had yet to answer her summons. What was she going to do? Her mutant powers were not very strong, nor were they suited to a battle situation. Usagi's shoulders sank and she fought back tears. "How can I win this battle if I can't even fight?"

"Excellent question, little princess," a soft voice purred. Usagi tensed and rose to her feet as Rehanne appeared in front of her, wearing a smug smile. "Now you are truly alone, and I can have my revenge for the destruction of my master."

"I didn't destroy Chaos. I sent him back where he belonged," Usagi snapped. "He's still alive, and you have no right to be doing this! Return my friends to me at once!"

Rehanne just laughed. "I regret to inform you that most of your beloved friends are dead," she said with a certain amount of satisfaction. "But if you want to have a chance at saving those who are still alive... I suggest you come outside. I would just _love_ to play with your daughters."

"Leave them alone!" she shouted, but Rehanne was gone. Usagi swore under her breath and took off down the hall. She took the stairs two at a time and ran to the back door of the mansion. It opened easily under her touch, revealing a scene that was straight out of her own personal nightmares. Chibi-Usa and Hotaru had both been tied to the top of the fountain, which was no longer spewing water, and both of them were unconscious. There was no sign of Chibi Chibi. "Chibi-Usa! Hotaru!" she cried, hoping that at least one of them would perk up at the sound of her voice. Neither did.

Usagi took a cautious step onto the grass, ready for Rehanne's attack. When nothing happened, she hurried to the fountain, where she reached up to grab Chibi-Usa's hand. Her daughter was pale and cold to the touch. "Chibi-Usa, it's me. Please wake up," she begged. "I need your help."

"It's too late, little princess. They're both dying."

"I'll get you for this, I swear by my mother," Usagi vowed, turning to face Rehanne. Now, for possibly the first time, she was facing the real Rehanne, not a hologram or a projection. She would have liked to punch the woman, but her instinct told her that getting close to Rehanne would be a bad idea. It was amazing, really. Never before in her life had she even condoned the thought of violence or fighting. With Galaxia and Chaos, she'd gone out of her way to do the opposite, insisting that words were better. But suddenly, she was starting to see why Makoto and Haruka placed value on hitting someone. There would be no saving Rehanne, if the woman could even be saved. For all of this, Usagi wanted her dead. Preferably now.

"Fortunately for you, I've been saving the best death for last." Rehanne's hand rose, and from the clouds above her, sickly green lightening leapt free and raced towards Usagi. "Once you're gone, I'll have avenged my master, and I can return to Kinmokusei and pick up where I left off."

In one swift movement, Usagi threw herself off to the side. "It will hardly be so easy to kill me," she spat, dodging a second burst of the lightening. "People much stronger than_ you_ have tried and failed."

"You're right," Rehanne said. A cruel smirk crossed her face. "What _am_ I doing? It will be much easier to kill_ them_ instead."

"No!" Usagi screamed, lunging forward. "Please, NO!"

Several things happened all at once. Laughing, Rehanne summoned more of her lightening and directed a particularly large burst in the direction of Chibi-Usa and Hotaru. At the same time, a powerful wind whipped through the air, pushing Usagi so hard she fell to the ground. She looked up in time to see the wind form a shield in front of her daughters, deflecting the attack harmlessly into the water. Seconds later, Rehanne bellowed in pain as a ball of ice and fire struck her and sent her flying.

"Usagi-chan!"

"R... Rei-chan? Ami-chan?" Amazed, Usagi sat up as her two friends rushed over to her. Rei fell to her knees and threw her arms around her princess. "What...? You're... still alive?"

"That evil woman couldn't figure out how to kill everyone," a third voice stated. Storm landed on the ground a short distance away from them.

"You saved my children... Thank you," Usagi said shakily, standing up with the help of Rei and Ami.

Storm smiled at her. "It was my pleasure, child. I only regret that I couldn't have done more for the rest of the team." Her expression grew somber. "I fear that most of them have perished within the mansion."

"Bobby and Taiki-san are dead," Ami said quietly, her face pale and drawn. "I'd still be trapped if Rei-chan hadn't burnt the wall down."

"Professor Xavier is dead, too," said Rei, glaring at Rehanne. She held up her hands, revealing the flames that danced around her fingers. "Let's waste this bitch."

Rehanne stirred and pushed her into a sitting position. For a moment, she looked completely lost as her gaze wandered over the three senshi and Storm. Then her eyes narrowed, and she growled under her breath. "You little brats," she hissed, rising. "You dare to think that you can beat me? Here, have a taste of my power."

Ami, Rei, and Usagi scattered as the clouds overhead rumbled threateningly. Black and green lightening leapt from the sky to strike the places where the girls had stood. Storm moved forward, her expression darkening. She hated the thought of anyone using_ her_ element to cause this kind of mass destruction. Lifting her hands, she summoned more wind and threw it at Rehanne, who leapt up and out of the way.

"Foolish. I was willing to let you die peacefully before," she observed. "Now you will die in pain. Rise, my followers. Awaken and destroy the ones who have kept up from our lord!"

Nothing happened for a long, breathless moment. Then a single drop of blood red rain fell from the sky and landed in the fountain, turning the water an ugly reddish color. A second followed. Then, in the next instant, Usagi yelped as a veritable downpour of red rain drenched her, staining her golden hair pink and ruining her clothes. The rain actually stung as it struck her, like a thousand tiny knives pricking her all over her body. Storm landed near the fountain. Turning her head, she called out to them and the three girls ran to her; using wind, she was able to create a shield that prevented the rain from hitting them.

"Rise! It's time, everyone," Rehanne called out, giggling. "Rise!"

"I sense something really bad coming," Rei said, her eyes wide. She looked down at the ground, then up at her friends. "Quickly, everyone get up onto the fountain's rim!"

Rei leapt up onto the stone and grabbed Usagi by the arm, physically hauling the petite blonde up beside her. Ami and Storm followed just in time; from the grass came tall, slender creatures that had no distinguishing features. Each one looked as though it was made from the same thick red liquid that had fallen from the sky. All of them possessed wings and razor sharp swords where their hands would have been. One lurched forward and raised its sword. The four women jumped out of the way as the side of the fountain was destroyed. Water rushed out, dissolving the creatures that were unfortunate enough to be standing in the way.

"Water kills them! Maybe ice will do the same." Ami aimed a few balls of ice at the nearest creatures. The ice went right through them and landed harmlessly on the grass a few feet away. "Oh no! It didn't work."

"Look out!" Rei shoved her from behind, saving her from a blade. She turned and blasted the creature that had tried to kill Ami with fire. It screamed in pain as the liquid in its body began to bubble, like water that was being boiled. In seconds, it literally came apart at the seams and fell to the ground in a shower of bloody rain. A triumphant smile lit Rei's lips, but it soon turned to horror when three more rose from the puddle. "Shit! They're multiplying!"

Storm summoned her winds and rose up above them. This way, she had a good vantage point to see what was going on. It was horrifying. There were so many of them! "We have to think up a plan fast," she called out, using a spare bit of wind to scoop a couple of the creatures up and drop them on the ground. She gritted her teeth when the same thing happened again; a dozen more rose up out of the remains of the ones she had destroyed.

"Ami-chan, don't fire ice at them! Freeze them!" Usagi cried, ducking as one sliced at her awkwardly. It missed and struck the creature behind her. Two more took the place of the fallen one and she hissed. "Rei-chan, you can't just boil them. You have to burn them until there's nothing left."

"I don't know that I have the power for that," whispered Rei, too low for her friends to hear. Her mutant powers might have been pretty strong, but they were facing at least a thousand of those creatures. But if she didn't, Usagi would... Rei drew herself up and summoned all of her strength before she let loose with her strongest bout of fire yet. The creatures caught in her path screamed in agony as the flames continued to lick at their skin, causing the liquid to bubble dangerously before vaporising into a weird smoke that Storm whisked away from them as soon as it appeared. Those ones were dead... but there were hundreds more right behind them.

"Good job!" Ami cheered, seeing the deaths of the creatures. She wished that Bobby were with her this time as she faced the ones that were nearest her and Storm. This was one situation when his powers would have really come in handy, since her powers were more designed towards working with the ice inside of her instead of freezing things outside of her. Still, she was willing to do anything to protect Usagi. Grimly, she summoned her power and began striking the creatures with a handful of frost that froze them instantly, allowing Storm and Usagi to knock them aside and shatter them into pieces.

For a moment, it actually seemed like they were beginning to get somewhere. But then Rehanne laughed, and black lightening flashed across the sky and struck Storm, who was so caught up in using her wind to prevent the smoke from reaching them and helping Usagi that she didn't even see it coming. She let out a surprised, choked cry as her body hurtled through the air, landing a good five feet away. Usagi screamed her name and made to run towards their fallen comrade, but Rei pushed her aside, preventing her from being struck by lightening as well. Then she grabbed her princess by the arm and dragged Usagi backwards, hopping back up on to what was left of the fountain's rim. Ami joined them, looking exhausted and worn out. More of the creatures swarmed over Storm, until the woman's body couldn't even be seen.

Usagi was sobbing. "You're a horrible, cruel, awful woman and I _hate_ you!" she shrieked, shaking her fist up at Rehanne. "I _swear_ by my Mother that you will pay for this!"

"You deserve every minute of this," Rehanne replied, a wicked light in her eyes. "Hurry up and die quickly, so that I can return to Kinmokusei and finish off that bitch of a princess. I just _know_ that she believes you'll be able to take care of me. That's why she left her precious starlights here. How wrong she was..."

"She wasn't wrong!"

"Y... Yaten... kun?" Blue eyes widened, and Usagi turned, her face alight with hope.

An explosion of wind came from an entirely different direction, throwing the creatures into the air. Looking like ghosts as they rose from the ground thanks to Kitty's powers, Storm, Yaten, Kitty and Rogue all became solid again. Storm stepped forward, an angry look on her face, and flew into the air to challenge Rehanne on her own turf. A battle began between the two of them while Yaten, Kitty, and Rogue ran to Usagi, Ami and Rei. Usagi threw her arms around Yaten and clung to the silver-haired starlight.

"Hey guys, I'm glad we didn't, like, miss the party," Kitty said, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. She knelt, putting a hand to the ground, and closed her eyes. An expression of fierce concentration came over her face as she focused on using her powers. Without warning, every single one of the creatures vanished into the ground. "There," she gasped, nearly falling over when she went to stand. Rogue grabbed her and held on, supporting her as she shakily stood. "That should, like, buy us a few minutes, at least. I sent them as deep as I could."

"What do we do?" Usagi asked, looking up at Storm and Rehanne. It was clear that Storm was fighting a loosing battle. She was cut off from a lot of her natural power by the stormclouds; she couldn't even conjure a storm of her own. Right now, she was just managing to dodge Rehanne's attacks and distract the woman with bursts of wind, but even that probably wouldn't last very long. "I don't know how we can beat her."

"Are we the only ones left?" Yaten's voice was quiet.

"I... I think so," the blonde answered, tears coming to her eyes when she saw the look of pain on Yaten's face and the stunned looks from Kitty and Rogue. "If we can win... Chibi-Usa, Chibi Chibi and I can make everything right again. I _know_ that we can. It's this damned barrier she has! How can we overcome it?"

"Yaten-san, can you think of anything? Something from your previous battles that might help?" Ami had taken the chance to sit down and just breathe for a minute. She clutched at her side, where a creature had landed a light shot, and added, "Anything that you can tell us..."

"I really don't know," said Yaten. Her face was pale, and her green eyes were huge. "I can't think of any weaknesses. Without my senshi powers, I can't even help you fight."

"There's got to be _some_thing," Rei said, glancing around worriedly. She could see the start of the red liquid oozing up through the ground. "Look, she's convinced that when she returns to Kinmokusei, she'll be able to kill Kakyuu-sama with no problem. The only thing she was worried about was having you, Taiki-san and Seiya around. That means there's a way that you three used to fight her... a clue to beating her that only you guys know. _Think_, Yaten-san. You've got to try to remember what it was."

The silver-haired girl frowned in thought. Above them, Rehanne screamed in triumph as she struck Storm with a particularly hard pulse of lightening that sent her spinning towards the ground. She managed to regain her footing before she hit, but she landed soon after. The way she collapsed to one knee said it all: she wouldn't be able to buy them any more time. Laughing wildly, Rehanne spun to face them. If she was disturbed by the fac tthat their group had enlarged while she was distracted, she didn't show it. If anything, she seemed pleased. Her soulless eyes glittered maliciously as she stepped forward, trailing one hand through the air almost languidly. Lightening leapt from the clouds and clung to her fingers, dancing off of her hair and jewellery and clothing until she practically blazed with power.

Yaten gasped. "I've got it! I know how to destroy Rehanne. Seiya and Taiki and I, we used to..."

* * *

Please review!


	30. Chapter 29

**A/N:** This is officially the last chapter. The only thing left is the epilogue, which I have decided to post at the same time. I hope that anyone who is still reading (_if_ there is anyone, heh) finds it to be a satisfying conclusion.

* * *

Before Yaten had the chance to finish her sentence, Usagi grabbed her by the hand and yanked the older girl out of the way of Rehanne's lightening. The two of them landed roughly on the other side of the fountain. Rei and Ami leapt into action immediately, firing waves of fire and ice in Rehanne's direction while doing their best to dodge her attacks. Seeing that the red creatures had begun to reform, Kitty dropped to her knees and laid the palms of her hands on the ground. Rogue knelt beside her and caught her when Kitty passed out from using her power twice on such a wide expanse of space. Storm hovered over the two of them in a protective way, her body language daring Rehanne to attack either of the two students. The creatures had disappeared for a second time.

"Ouch! Thanks," Yaten said, grimacing as she flexed her wrist. "That bitch certainly has got good aim."

"Forget that! Focus. What is it you guys used to do?" asked Usagi. She huddled beside Yaten, out of view of Rehanne.

"Oh, right. Well, for one thing, we never fought her outside of the palace grounds," Yaten told her. "Rehanne wasn't like Chaos. He started on the outside and forced us to go to him. But she wasn't interested in destroying any more of Kinmoku, thank god. All of her attacks were centered on trying to kill Kakyuu-hime, which meant she came to the castle, since we never allowed Kakyuu-hime to leave after the first attempt. The castle has several different barriers and protections set up... some have been there for years, and others were only recently added when we began rebuilding the planet. I suspect that's why she was unable to use the barrier that keeps us from transforming on Kinmoku. We would have been in a lot of trouble if she had."

"No kidding," Usagi muttered. "Okay, well, that explains a lot. But you said you knew what you guys used to do that is making her so desperate to kill you."

Yaten nodded, casting a wary glance at the sky. "After we left here, Taiki had a special little computer made, modeled after Ami-san's Mercury computer," she explained. "It was destroyed during a fight with Rehanne, but not before telling us that a significant portion of Rehanne's power comes from that necklace around her neck. See?" She sat back on her heels so that she could look over the rim of the fountain and pointed.

Usagi sat up and followed the direction of Yaten's finger. The necklace was easily visible against the colors of Rehanne's robes, a large, faceted green gem that failed to catch the light. It was strung on a heavy silver chain around her neck. As she watched, Rehanne summoned a burst of lightening, and the gem flickered black, almost blending into her dark violet collar, for just a second. It was something that she never would have noticed unless she was looking directly at it.

"We were never able to get rid of it," Yaten said with disgust, narrowing her eyes. "Even though we didn't know what it was for, after Taiki realized it was a source of power, we did our best to destroy it. But it was rare that we got close enough to try, and on the off chance that we did, nothing we threw at it was strong enough. Your mutant powers won't be enough."

"Damn!" Usagi swore softly. If only they could get rid of the necklace... Rehanne might be powerless or close to it. Could she draw power from it if it wasn't around her neck? Would simply getting it away from her be enough? "We have to get that stupid thing off of her. I don't know if that will limit her power, but it's a start."

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Rogue asked, dragging Kitty's limp body over to them. "Rei and Ami look exhausted. I don't think they can hold her off for much longer."

It was true. With every blast of power from the two senshi, both of them seemed to weaken further, while Rehanne appeared to be growing stronger. Ami was participating in the fight to the best of her abilities, but she felt like she was totally out of her element. Even though she was a senshi, physical fighting had never really been her thing; she had always preferred to stand back and devise ways for the others to win. Now, she found herself struggling to keep up with Rei and Rehanne, who were clashing like old enemies. Rei certainly had no problem fighting, and if it weren't for the fact that using her mutant powers was a lot more taxing than her senshi powers, Rehanne would have been in serious trouble. As it was, she wielded several burns on her arms and hands from times when Rei's fire had gotten a bit too close for comfort.

A particularly strong shot sent Ami flying backwards. She landed on the soaked grass and was still for a moment, gasping heavily for breath. If she couldn't fight, she had to get out of the way. Logically, her mind knew that; she was a liability when she was out in the open. But it was hard to make her body obey when moving made every muscle in her body lock up into a spasm. Groaning, she struggled to roll over onto her hands and knees.

"Here, let me help ya," a voice said above her, and then gloved hands touched her arm and drew it around a pair of slender shoulders. Ami looked into Rogue's dark eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Rogue flushed. "It's nothin," she said quietly, shouldering most of the blue-haired girl's weight as the two of them approached the fountain. Usagi was standing up to help them when it happened. The bare skin of Ami's arm brushed against Rogue's cheek and she gasped as she felt her power kick into gear immediately. Ami made a choked, rasping sound as Rogue, somehow possessing enough ability to think even in the wake of the memories flooding into her mind, jerked away from her. She watched in horror as Ami collapsed into Usagi's arms in a dead faint. "Oh god, I... I didn't mean to!"

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" Usagi asked, bewildered as she and Yaten laid Ami on the grass beside Kitty. As far as she knew, Ami had just passed out from using her powers too much, like Kitty.

"It's... it's mah power..." Rogue said, her hands trembling. "I... When I touch someone, I absorb their memories, their life... everything about them. For mutants, I get their powers." She looked down at her hands. Frost swirled over her fingers, but even when she tried, she couldn't summon anything else. Ami had been so weak and the contact so brief that nothing else had transferred.

"Really..." Blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then, slowly, Usagi smiled. It wasn't a happy or comforting smile. Rogue actually felt pretty chilled when she saw it. "Stay here, Rogue, alright? Don't get hurt."

"Um... okay?"

Hand in hand with Yaten, Usagi waited for her opportunity. It came when Rehanne was turned away, facing Rei. She and Yaten burst out from behind the woman and tackled her. Rehanne went down screaming, and all three of them tumbled together on the grass. Usagi had caught Rehanne around shoulders, so it was her responsibility to get the necklace. Easier said than done when Rehanne was twisting and swearing. The evil woman's body began to glow again, and it hurt just to touch her for a second, never mind prolonged contact. Yaten cried out and Usagi gritted her teeth, forcing herself to grab for the necklace.

"No!" Sounding truly panicked, Rehanne blasted them off of her. She sat up as the two of them landed several feet away. "Do not touch what does not belong to you," she growled, her fathomless black eyes glowing red.

"Shit," Usagi groaned as she sat up. Pain radiated up and down her sides and spine. She glowered at Rehanne, pissed that she had come away empty-handed. Plus, Rehanne would no doubt now be wise to their tricks.

"Usagi-san, be careful!" Yaten leapt to her feet and dragged the blonde up and away from the oozing red liquid. It had returned much faster this time, and the creatures were beginning to form again. Rogue dragged Kitty and Ami into the fountain, which would at least keep them off of the grass.

"Hey... get away from her!" Rei shouted. Tendrils of flames curled around her fingers as she watched the creatures surging towards Usagi and Yaten.

"I am your opponent, not them," Rehanne said, appearing in front of her when she made to help them. "You face me until you die, brat."

"Gladly!"

Yaten pushed Usagi behind her and stood in front of the girl protectively as the red creatures began to walk towards them. She didn't have a way of fighting, but she would be damned before the woman who was technically now her princess was hurt. When one of the creatures lurched forward, she met its thrust with an upward arm and swung her left leg up, intending to get rid of it with a good kick. A look of horror crossed her face when her leg sunk deeply into the creature's side, sinking into the weird substance like it was jell-o. The creature raised its sword over its head.

A beam of red light swept over the grass, destroying many of the creatures and setting Yaten free. She stumbled, caught off balance, and was caught by Usagi as a bubble of pale pink light appeared and grew swiftly in size, obliterating the creatures that stood in its way. Two shadowy figures stood inside, and the red laser was coming from one of them. Rogue gasped loudly as the bubble dissipated, revealing Jean and Scott.

"Chibi Chibi..." Usagi whispered, recognizing the little girl's powers.

/She's dead,/ Jean's voice said softly, speaking into Usagi's mind. The redhead turned towards them as Scott stepped forward and let loose with his laser again. /I'm sorry. She... There were so many shadows around and she used her power to make sure that we were saved./

Usagi's eyes filled with tears. "I'm glad."

/What can we do to help?/ Jean asked. /Anything you want.../

In the span of a minute, Usagi had filled Jean in on what had happened so far... and what her plan was. Jean nodded slowly, her face thoughtful. Usagi's plan just might work if everyone pooled their powers together. Quickly, she looked back at her friends and reached out to everyone simultaneously. It was difficult work for her to touch so many minds at the same time; Professor Xavier had been training her in her powers, but he'd never encouraged her to go this far, and she could understand why. She was almost overwhelmed by the pain resonating through her head, but she struggled to ignore it, holding the connection long enough to speak.

/Listen, everyone. We have to get that necklace away from Rehanne. Usagi has a plan to - / she broke off with a sharp gasp as Scott grabbed her around the waist and jerked her out of the way of a creature. The connection snapped as the two of them landed hard on the ground.

"Say no more," Rei said, her face pale with exhaustion. She ducked another blow and aimed a burst of fire directly at the chain around Rehanne's neck, hoping to heat it up enough to make the woman tear it off. The flames struck the chain and bounced off harmlessly. Rei's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"As though I should be so easy to beat," Rehanne said, flicking her fingers. Rei, too exhausted to dodge, was blown off of her feet. Her body landed with an ominous cracking sound that made those within hearing distance shudder. She did not get up. "Give it up, little princess. There are so few left to fight for you. One by one, your friends and your soldiers will fall, until there will be no one left... and I will be able to annihilate you."

"I will never up!" Usagi shouted. She caught Jean's eye and thought, /Jean, can you ask Storm to distract her? I'm going to try to get close to her again./

All of a sudden, Jean's face brightened. /There's no need to. He's here./

/He who?/ There was no need for Jean to answer Usagi's question. With a bloodcurdling roar of fury, Logan burst out of the fountain with his adamantium claws bared. He tackled Rehanne and took the woman down with them while she was too shocked and surprised to respond. One slice from his razor sharp claws caused the chain of Rehanne's necklace to snap in two; he grabbed the necklace and chucked it in Usagi's direction. She managed to catch it while Logan began fighting one on one with Rehanne, who screamed furiously and struggled to fight back as she was hacked by the claws. Storm took the opportunity to dive in and scoop Rei up, moving the unconscious girl further away from harm.

"Here, Yaten, hold this," instructed Usagi, dumping the necklace into Yaten's hand. She ran over to Rogue, who was still hovering protectively over Kitty, Ami and now Rei. Scott kept the creatures away with blasts from his laser. Jean created a shield that no creature who got past Scott could get through. "Rogue, I need you to do something for me," Usagi said urgently.

"Sure... what?"

"I need you to use your powers."

Rogue looked completely stunned. "What? No way. I'll drain you completely, and besides, your powers aren't any good for fighting... No offence."

"None taken. Besides, it's not my mutant powers I need you to borrow." From within her pocket, Usagi produced a beautiful and elaborate locket. She passed her hand over the surface. The top of the locket vanished, revealing a beautiful, faceted silver gem that twinkled faintly. "This is the ginzuishou. It can save us all if we can destroy this necklace." Yaten held up the necklace in question. "It occurred to me that you don't have a senshi crystal, so you could still use this power. All you need to take is a tiny bit, just enough to blow this thing to smithereens. Then we can take care of the rest."

"I could really hurt you, though," Rogue protested weakly. Her eyes were locked on the ginzuishou.

"No, you won't. Touch me and the ginzuishou at the same time... then aim at the necklace." Usagi held her hand out. "Come on, Rogue, please. I can fix things, I promise."

"Alright." Without lifting her gaze from the crystal, Rogue nodded. She remembered running away before, and the feelings of shame that had haunted her afterwards. Normally she felt fairly useless in a fight, unless she could get close enough to their enemy to touch them and take them down. There was no chance of that happening with Rehanne, but maybe this time, she could help, anyway. "But, look, you have to pull us apart after about ten seconds, alright?" she said to Yaten. "I mean it. Any more than that could be seriously dangerous. I've put people in comas before."

"I will," Yaten promised. She placed the necklace on the ground between Usagi and Rogue and took a half-step back as Rogue removed her gloves and placed them on the ground beside her.

Rogue touched the ginzuishou first. The warmth flowing from the gem was mesmerizing. She only distantly felt her other hand lift and make contact with Usagi's, but instantly, an incredible surge of heat raced up her arm. In less than a second, it was almost too much. By ten seconds, her body was ready to burst. Yaten reached out and grabbed Usagi's arm, yanking her away from Rogue. Immediately, Rogue felt all of her control over that power disappear. It began jumping and racing around her body, searching for a way out. Slender fingers took hold of her sleeve and gently guided her hand down, until it and her eyes were pointed at the necklace. Through it all, Rogue never let go of the ginzuishou.

"Strike," Usagi's voice urged.

"Strike," Rogue whispered.

Silvery white power exploded from her fingers and arced towards the necklace. Upon contact, the gem cracked and began to splinter. More and more power leaked out of Rogue and into the necklace, turning the gem from black to a dull gray color that quickly became off-white. When the gem was completely white, it exploded into a thousand tiny fragments that flew in every direction. Rogue felt dozens of tiny, painful welts open up all over her face, hands and arms. The sting helped jerked her back to reality, where she realized just how tired she was. Her whole body was one continuous, slow ache, and the muscles in her hands and arms went into spasm as her arms fell to her sides.

Usagi, on the other hand, looked as though she had just come alive. Her blue eyes were on fire as she stood up, cradling her locket close. While Storm distracted Rehanne with the last of her powers, Logan had clambered to the top of the fountain and was in the process of freeing Hotaru and Chibi-Usa by slicing through their bonds. Jean caught the two children with her powers, lowering them to the ground. Scott continued to keep the creatures away with slow, methodical blasts as Logan leapt back into the fight. The sound of his angry cry seemed to rouse Chibi-Usa and Hotaru, who both sat up and looked around in confusion.

"Girls," she called out, regretting that both Ami and Rei were still out. When three heads turned in her direction, Usagi held up her locket. "Ready?"

"You mean..." A devilish smile crept over Chibi-Usa's lips, and she shook her head hard to get rid of any remaining dizziness as she got to her feet. She barely remembered what had happened – one moment, she had been walking down the hall with her friends and feeling cold brush against the back of her neck, the next she was waking up here – but she knew it was all Rehanne's fault. Pay back was past due. "Hotaru-chan, let's go!"

"_Healer Star Power, Make-Up_!"

"_Saturn Crystal Power, Make-Up_!"

Violet and green lights flashed and died. Sailor Star Healer ran forward immediately, a cold light in her pale green eyes. She cast an attack that caught Rehanne square in the chest, driving her backwards away from Storm and Logan. Storm collapsed, one hand flying to her shoulder, where an ugly wound bled sluggishly. Rehanne was panting loudly when she got back to her feet. Her body was visibly shaking with exertion, and her black eyes had turned a strange greyish color, much like her gem. Super Sailor Saturn took up a protective position in front of Usagi and Chibi-Usa, her glaive extended. The point gleamed in the dim light.

"Mama, ready?"

Usagi nodded and held her hand out. "Let's go."

"_Super Moon Eternal, MAKE-UP_!" A rippling wave of silver and pink light enshrouded the two of them for only an instant before it vanished, leaving Eternal Sailor Moon and Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon standing hand in hand behind Super Sailor Saturn. Eternal Sailor Moon squeezed Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon's hand tightly and held her free hand up. The Eternal Tier appeared immediately. Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon copied her mother and watched as the Crystal Carillon materialized. A soft pink glow lit around the bell and it morphed slowly into a rod similar to the Eternal Tier.

"You can't do this!" Rehanne screamed.

"Oh, see, that's the thing..." said Eternal Sailor Moon with a sweet smile.

"We definitely can," Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon finished, eyes intent.

"_Double Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss_!"

Mother and daughter held their wands up at the same time. The ginzuishou and the Rose Crystal sparkled with power, and the effect of their combined attack was immediate. As the pure, shining white light struck Rehanne, the woman shrieked in agony as her body started to disintegrate into shimmering diamonds that faded away in the wind. As the power crawled up her body, Eternal Sailor Moon was surprised to see the peaceful look that had settled over Rehanne's face. Their eyes made contact, and for once there was no hatred in that otherwise empty gaze as Rehanne disappeared completely.

"Just like that... it's over..." Rogue said from behind them, sounding amazed.

"Not quite," Sailor Star Healer said. "Can you...?"

"Hmm, it will take all of us," Eternal Sailor Moon said, looking thoughtful. "Chibi Chibi-chan isn't here to help. Healer, do you think you can link your powers to ours?"

Sailor Star Healer hesitated, then nodded. "I think so."

Super Sailor Saturn handed her glaive to Logan and then went to stand in between Eternal Sailor Moon and Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon. Sailor Star Healer approached, filling in the gap between the soldiers of the moon. All four women joined hands. Eternal Sailor Moon closed her eyes and fell into the source of her power quickly. The ginzuishou was like a pulsing warmth in her mind, radiating joy at the vanquishing of another enemy. Once more, she sought the lines of power that connected her to her senshi. Most of them were thin and brittle; the ones belonging to Ami and Rei were growing weaker by the second. Only the lines that ran to Sailor Star Healer, Super Sailor Saturn, and Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon were bright and strong. She caught hold of them and teased them gently, inviting them to open up and share power. Her two daughters responded quickly, violet and pink energy flowing through her mind. Sailor Star Healer was slower and more uncertain about answering; she'd never done this before.

"Please, ginzuishou," Eternal Sailor Moon breathed, her lips barely moving. She sent a silent prayer up to her mother. "Restore our friends to life. _Moon... Crystal... Power_!"

"_Pink Moon Crystal Power_!"

"_Saturn Crystal Power_!"

"_Healer... Crystal... Power_!"

Silver, pink, violet and pale green energy swirled around their circle, blending into an off white color. Eternal Sailor Moon frowned and forced more of her power into the mix and felt Eternal Sailor Chibi Moon doing the same. With just the four of them, it was harder than she'd anticipated to call souls back from the dead and fix the damage that had been done. The ginzuishou vibrated when she tried to summon more energy from it, and she held back a wince. It was too much...

"_Star Crystal Power_!"

The cry came from above, the voice of a young woman that struck a familiar chord in Eternal Sailor Moon's heart. She gasped out loud, the breath torn from her lungs, as the energy finally turned a pure shining white and exploded all over the field, immediately dissipating Rehanne's mass of clouds and spreading through the Institute and out into the front yard. Every shadow that had continued to linger within the building was instantly burned away, and all of the creatures vanished without so much as a cry. The force of it was simply too much for the four senshi. Every single one of them lost their grip on each other's hands and stumbled back from the circle and the energy that was resonating from within. The second that they let go, they all collapsed.

* * *

Please feel free to review before going on to the epilogue!


	31. Epilogue

"Mama. Mama! Can you hear me? Wake up."

The sweet voice of her second youngest daughter was what drew Usagi from the depths of unconsciousness. She fought her way back to the surface, forcing herself to awaken in spite of the tight hold that it had on her. Dimly, she realized that she was being supported against a surface that was hard and warm, and that strong arms were wrapped around her upper body. Her eyes blinked open and she stared up into dark eyes set into a familiar face. A smile touched her lips.

"I told you that I was a fighter," she teased softly.

Logan snorted and shook his head, unable to fight back his grin. "I guess I ought to learn not to doubt your word," he said.

Usagi smirked. "I guess you should," she answered, reaching up for him. She got her hands around his neck and pulled herself up enough so that she could kiss him.

"Ew, that's gratitude for you. Help her save the world and she totally ignores us," Chibi-Usa said impishly.

"No more kids," Logan said, rolling his eyes when she broke the kiss.

"Not right now, anyway," Usagi said with a wink before sitting up and facing her three children. She held her arms out to Chibi Chibi, Chibi-Usa, and Hotaru, who eagerly cuddled into her embrace. Chibi Chibi wound up in her lap, while Hotaru and Chibi-Usa knelt on either side of her. Logan backed off a bit, though he kept close enough so that she knew he was there.

"Are you okay, Usagi-mama?" Hotaru asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm just a bit sore and tired. Nothing a long bath and food won't cure." She rolled her shoulders, curious to know how much damage had been done. But although her whole back felt more than a bit tender, nothing hurt to the point of serious concern. "Are you three okay?"

"We're fine. She didn't do anything to us," said Chibi-Usa, knowing what her mother was _really_ asking.

"Chibi Chibi-chan... was that you I heard?" Usagi looked into the deep blue eyes of her youngest daughter. Chibi Chibi blinked and tilted her head in an adorable fashion, as though asking a silent question. "Someone spoke... Sailor... Star?"

"Chibi... chibi!" Chibi Chibi squealed, giggling. She clapped her hands together. Usagi raised her eyebrows and sighed at the answer. Chibi Chibi had always been something of a conundrum to her, but she had thought that they'd finally reached the end of the mysteries surrounding her. Apparently not. That voice that had helped them by invoking another, unfamiliar sailor crystal... It sounded just like the one that had spoken to her in the battle with Chaos. Could it really be Chibi Chibi? Would she someday become Sailor Star? Maybe there was even more to the little girl than she had guessed.

"Sailor Star?" Chibi-Usa echoed thoughtfully. "Hmm... I like the sound of that."

"The guardian of the night and all lost stars?" Hotaru added, smiling a little. "It fits you, Chibi Chibi-chan!"

"Chibi chibi, chibi!"

"I don't know how you did it, but everyone else is alright," Logan broke in.

Usagi looked up. Her heart filled with joy when she saw the X-men and her senshi standing around, all speaking in low voices. Even Rei and Ami seemed to have recovered from the battle, though Rei was leaning heavily against the fountain's rim as she spoke to Professor Xavier and Jean, and Ami was cradling her side. Beyond surface wounds, every single one of her friends had been reborn. She recalled the battle with Chaos, when Chibi Chibi had led the starseeds of her friends and lover back to her, and smiled. There was no doubt in her mind that Chibi Chibi had come through for her again.

"Make that the guardian of lost _souls_," she said, hugging Chibi Chibi close. "Thank you, Chibi Chibi."

"Mommy," Chibi Chibi said into her ear, so clearly that Usagi's eyes went wide. "Welcome."

"Usagi-chan!" Minako shouted suddenly. "You're awake!"

Suddenly, Usagi found herself swarmed by a bunch of people. She handed Chibi Chibi to Chibi-Usa and accepted Logan's hand in getting to her feet. A twinge went through her back when she straightened, but she ignored it in favor of hugging as many people as she could get her hands on. Her senshi and most of the X-Men accepted the embrace with open arms. Even Mamoru hugged her quietly, and Luna, Artemis and Diana gave her quick kisses on the cheek. Every single person – or cat – looked whole and healthy, and she leaned against Logan as she beamed at them. Once more, fate had smiled upon them.

"I'm so glad that everyone is okay," she said softly.

"I hear that it's thanks to you," said Bobby. He wrapped an arm around an eighteen-year-old Makoto, who flushed with pleasure. "Thanks."

"I wasn't the only fighting," Usagi said with a laugh. "Everyone did. If I weren't for Yaten, we wouldn't have known to destroy that necklace. If it weren't for Logan..." she squeezed his arm gently "we wouldn't have gotten it away from her. And if it wasn't for Rogue, then we wouldn't have been able to get rid of it."

All eyes turned to Rogue, who blushed faintly. She'd obviously kept her part in the story a secret. "I... Well, it wasn't that big a deal," she said. "But... look." Lifting her hand, she reached out and touched Scott on the arm. It took him a minute to realize that Rogue wasn't wearing her glove. He froze in the act of pulling away and stared at her in awe. Rogue turned even more pink and drew her hand back. "I think... the ginzuishou... it changed my power. I feel like there's a switch in my head that I can press when I want to absorb powers from other mutants. The rest of the time... I'm okay."

"That's fantastic!" Kitty said, throwing her arms around her best friend. "I'm so happy for you, Rogue."

"I bet Gambit will be happy, too," said Kurt, winking. Rogue flushed even darker and whacked him in the back of the head. He yelped. "Hey hey, no hitting the fuzzy dude!"

"Yeah, Rogue, stop slapping my boyfriend around." Minako wrapped her arms protectively around Kurt and kissed the top of his head. "I need him for more than just looks, you know."

"Ugh! I did not want to know that," Rogue grumbled.

Silver hair billowed around Usagi as the wind blew. She combed it back out of her eyes and sighed. The spell keeping them locked into their fourteen-year-old forms had ended, and her body looked older again. No doubt the power of the ginzuishou and the Rose Crystal had been responsible for that. Even Chibi-Usa and Hotaru looked a little older, though Chibi Chibi had remained the same age. Usagi turned, pressing her body against Logan's. His eyebrows rose and he glanced at her with amusement.

"Want something?"

"Yeah, a long bath and a husband by my side."

"I'll give you the first. You'll have to earn the second."

She giggled. "I'll offer you three loving daughters and the promise of a very exciting life."

He pretended to think about it. "Is that a promise you can keep?

"Oh, absolutely," she said, silvery eyes twinkling.

"Then it's a deal."

They sealed it with a kiss.

* * *

And that's it, the end of Stars Above. Goodness, I am so glad that this story is finally over and I can mark it as complete! Please review to tell me what you thought of the ending.


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